Instigation
by GeminiGemelo
Summary: Scar has survived the hyena attack, but a worse life for him has just begun. Persecuted by nearly all who knew him, will he have the strength and skill to survive in the Outlands long enough to learn the truth, and perhaps something more? AU. Rated T. R&R
1. A Most Unpleasant Day

_Author's Notes:_

_EDIT: Yeah, this is it... the beginning. :3 If you would like to know where I started from, this is it... there's no denying. If you want to read, then I'm not stopping you by any means... However, a note first. It may be but a year old, but this fic feels ancient and outdated. It's cliche around the edges and unsophisticated, but if you wade through that and the vague looseness of it all, then I guess it isn't half-bad if you want to burn an hour. ;o If you're looking for a suspenseful fic, however, I would more emphatically motion you towards my more recent projects: most notably, Trampled. But anyways, that's just me... keep going, keep going. :p_

_Well, this is my first fic, so here goes. This fic is going to be mostly alternating between Scar's point-of-view and Zazu's, and sometimes Simba's, though to be honest I don't like writing Simba quite as much. This will be after TLK 1, but will probably have major differences from the events of TLK 2, since I'm not sure how my story would really fit in between 1 and 2, mainly because Scar is still alive in this. This is more of an alternate storyline than an in-between story. Rated T for some violence, and possibly some minor suggestive themes._

* * *

><p>Prologue<p>

Things are not always as they seem.

As the climactic clash for the Pridelands came to a close, it may have seemed as if peace would now rule over the land, but this could not be farther from the truth. The scuffle for the throne, the struggle to revive the dying land, and the battle for revenge and reprisal had only just begun. Simba taking the throne was merely a single event, a single domino falling, in a long chain of events that had gone on since before Mufasa's death and would continue on. With no solution in sight, a dying Pridelands, and the ever-continuing threat of usurpation, the real battle has just been instigated.

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: A Most Unpleasant Day<p>

The sun in the Pridelands that day was hot. Dreadfully hot. The sun beat down on the plain, barren land, and what used to be called a savannah was now a huge parched piece of deserted waste. The ground was cracked and the few bare trees that remained were knotted and blackened by the constant heat and drought. There was no grass, no shade, and no protection from the uncomfortable heat. The fire that had burned recently around Pride Rock had only worsened the land's condition, and ash was mercilessly spread through the air to coat the ground like snow. Pieces of dry bark were strewn across the ground and signs of life were nowhere to be seen for a long ways around. It was here that Scar awoke.

The dark lion had felt the heat and blinked his eyes open. When his hazy vision had cleared somewhat, he glimpsed around him, only to find his surroundings somewhat foreign. Where was he: the Pridelands or the Outlands? The two looked very similar now, so he really could be anywhere. He began to feel tired and lightheaded, and nearly collapsed into unconsciousness again, but he tried his hardest to stay awake and regain his composure. He took a deep breath and tried to remember how he had gotten far away from Pride Rock and to the eerily silent heart of the wasteland he had once ruled over. He couldn't remember much, if anything at all. He closed his eyes and thought harder, waiting several seconds as he began to recall fragments of memories.

He remembered the fire. That was shortly before he lost consciousness, if he remembered correctly. It seemed like years ago, but it was only a few days ago, wasn't it? The flames leapt about in his mind as he recalled it. He then recalled that Simba, his bratty and arrogant nephew, had tossed him roughly from the cliff, and how the lionesses had taken his side. Of course everyone took Simba's side. He had always gotten his way, as he was the "rightful king". Scar rolled his eyes. Why couldn't he rule? Did anyone stop to think that maybe he deserved a chance? Of course not. Why did Simba have to come and ruin everything? Scar sat there fuming for a moment, but reminded himself that someday he would get his revenge if he ever again got the chance for it.

But that still didn't explain how he had ended up in his current boring and utterly depressing surroundings. What else did he remember? Scar thought harder for a moment, trying to pursue the memories which remained just out of grasp...

Hyenas.

His eyes opened and flashed angrily while he growled low in his throat. They had betrayed him after everything he had done. He had given them food when they were starving and let them stay in the Pridelands when they had little place else to go, and all he asked in return was a few astonishingly simple tasks they could not even do correctly or proficiently. He should have been angry with them for failing him over and over again, but he still let them stay with him… only to have them stab him in the back later over some small quibble. A nightmarish flashback began to play in the front of his mind. He could see the hyenas, surrounded and illuminated by fire. The hatred and maliciousness in the hyenas' eyes as they attacked him was enough to send shivers down his spine even now. Their glistening teeth had ripped into him, and they laughed with bloody muzzles, clearly taking pleasure from tearing him apart. Their manic laughter echoed off the rock walls, making a fearsome and blood-curdling noise amidst the chaos. Scar had tried to fight his way out of it, but there were simply too many of them. Hyenas were lunging viciously at him, trying to rip off any bits of flesh they could bite down on, even injuring each other in the process. Blood began to mat his silky dark coat as the hyenas became ever more zealous. Finally Scar could feel the life flowing out of his wounded body. A moment or so later he felt a rough blow land on the top of his head, and everything went black.

Then he had awoken in the middle of nowhere. Everything that had happened in between the hyenas' attack and Scar's relapse into consciousness remained a mystery. Scar looked around, trying to think of how he survived and how he had gotten here, but any logical conclusion or fleeting memory that would explain it had not come to him. Eventually he gave up for the time being.

He tried to shake off some of the ash that had settled on his russet coat and was surprised at how different he looked. There were claw marks on his belly and sides from where the hyenas had attacked him and some of the wounds were still bleeding fresh blood. His fur was sooty and dark from the ash and was matted and tangled as well as being wet with sweat. Small parts of his fur had been ripped off his skin as well. He looked hideous: only a part of his once handsome self. He laid his head down on the ground weakly and looked up at the sun, which was still shining its hot, dry waves onto the ground, which had become nearly sizzling with heat.

Scar looked up to see a solitary bird making its way across the sky. It was the only other life he had seen the whole time he had been here. It was small and looked somewhat familiar, and it slowly and surely began to circle him, going down, down, down…

"Scar!"

Whoops.

Scar looked up at the bird. It was Zazu. That, of course, could only mean trouble. His shining green eyes flashed with both anger and fear. He hated Zazu and wanted to murder him right there, but of course Zazu was flying too far above him. Zazu was Simba's confidant, his major-domo. Knowing Zazu, he would fly back immediately to tell the new king about Scar's survival after the attack by the hyenas, and Simba would, at the _very least_, exile him; if not simply kill him on the spot. If Zazu told Simba, which he would, he would either have to fight for his life against Simba only to lose or be exiled to the Outlands where the vengeful hyenas would tear him to pieces.

Scar didn't want to lose his life. There was still something left inside of him. He had a fighting chance at being king once again, didn't he?

"I'd better tell the king! Oh no, this isn't good! This isn't good at all! Wait until Simba hears…"

Zazu's voice faded as he flew off, leaving Scar alone. He began to sweat and was fearful, which wasn't like him. He tried to get to his paws. Slowly he moved his feet under him and tried to stand, only to have his shaky legs collapse under him. He lied on the ground for a few seconds, panting, but reminded himself that Simba would probably arrive in mere minutes. He had to get to his feet and find a place to hide or run to for the time being if he wanted to have a chance for survival. Adrenaline surged through him and he stood on weak feet. He limped away as fast as he could and eventually sped into a lopsided run.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do. There was little place to hide and since the land was flat and barren, it was easy to spot things a great distance away. Finally he saw the shadow of another lion. His blood ran cold but at the same time he began to growl menacingly, prepared to defend himself. Perhaps he had a fighting chance if he snuck up on the figure and attacked it from behind. He crouched low to the ground, hoping the lion, who was probably Simba, hadn't seen him. He moved slowly and stealthily on his paws. Finally he was just behind Simba. A smile curved on the edge of his lips as he pounced at him. He flew through the air, only to find…

Zira? What was she doing here?

Zira quickly sidestepped out of the way of Scar's pounce, and he landed in a heap on the hard ground. She had seen him the whole time.

"What was that for? That is no way to treat someone after they save your life."

He sprawled quickly to his paws.

"Zira?" Scar sputtered out quickly. He couldn't keep the surprise and twinge of irritation out of his voice as he continued. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find food for us. Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any antelope or zebras for miles around. I came back to make sure you were still where I had left you, but you were gone."

Scar raised an eyebrow. Zira continued.

"I know you are wondering why you are here. But of course I wouldn't have left you near that dreadful place where I saved you from the hyenas. Simba wouldn't take kindly to having his father's murderer around." Zira scoffed as Scar growled. Simba had made them both angry. He had tried to kill Scar and take his place as king, which rightfully infuriated him. Zira of course felt the same way Scar did. She adored Scar, following him around, blindly loyal to his every command. Apparently her undying loyalty was useful to him. She was the only one who had saved him from certain doom.

Zira continued to circle Scar slowly. Scar got up and turned around to look Zira in her strangely calm red eyes.

"Speaking of Simba, he shall no doubt be here any moment now, my dear. I'm afraid Zazu found me before you did." He smirked.

Zira scowled and glared at the horizon coldly.

"We should leave. We will get our sweet revenge later," Scar filled the silence with an evil grin, which together with his glowing eyes made him look like his old treacherous self for a moment, instead of an injured lion who could barely stand.

Zira joined in with a toothy smile spread from ear to ear. She drifted off, thinking of the day when she would rip Simba apart. He would roar in pain and she would slowly…

"Come, Zira." Scar said, waking her from her fantasies and dreams of revenge. He began to walk off vaguely, waiting for her to follow. She padded along to his side, and began to run slowly ahead of him, apparently knowing where she was going. He sped up and walked quickly behind her.

"Where are we going, darling?" Scar questioned.

"You'll see."

* * *

><p><em>Review please? :)<em>


	2. Pride Rock

_Author's Notes:_

_Well, here is Chapter 2. I had to do significant editing to it, since it was REALLY short (only about 2 pages). By comparison, the Prologue and Chapter 1 are about 6 pages, so yeah... I added the whole Nala bit at the end. I also finished Chapter 7 today. Luckily, I have lots of time to write since it is Winter Break and so hopefully I can continue to update every day. I would like to thank all of you guys who read this story for taking the time to read it all the way through, especially those of you that reviewed. That means a lot! :)_

_Gio98: Thanks so much! I was really worried Scar and Zira would be out of character. Hope you like this chapter too. :)_

_Seph4ever: Thanks! :) And I know right? Something about Simba kind of irritates me, especially as an adult. xD_

_Sparrowclaw of Thunderclan: Yep, he's alive! I have quite a bit more already written, so I hope you like this chapter too. :)_

_readsmanyfavsfew: Thanks! Glad to know you like it. :)_

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Pride Rock<p>

It was a hot day on the top of Pride Rock, and the atmosphere was filled with fear and worry mixed with hope. Scar had been defeated and killed; Simba wouldn't have to worry about his conniving uncle any longer. They had forced out the hyenas that morning, and they, for whatever reason, looked battered and defeated as well as vengeful. They left relatively easily, which worried him somewhat. The rain that had occurred after the fire had fostered hope among the pride, but these hopes were put down as Simba and the lionesses noticed that it would indeed be another hot day devoid of rain. The drought was by no means over, and the pride would have to struggle to get through, searching even farther for the vanishing herds. He was looking over at the deserted land. It was rightfully his. He should have been happy, as he was king like he always dreamed. But what exactly was he king of? A vast plot of nothingness. It wasn't the beautiful, fertile land he remembered as a cub. It was changed and reduced to a mere skeleton of its former glory. Nala walked over to his side. She knew what he was thinking about.

"It'll come back. I know it will. I will bring this land back or die trying."

Nala nuzzled his side.

"Let's hope. At least your uncle is gone and you have taken your rightful place. Things can't get much worse."

Simba nodded. He remembered his uncle from when he was a cub. He never thought him to be a bloodthirsty murderer like he really was. He'd killed his father, and attempted to kill him as well.

"I know how you feel. We knew he was not a good king, but we didn't expect him to be responsible for all those other horrible things he did. I'm sorry Simba."

"Don't be. It was my fault for actually trusting him."

They sat together and watched the sun rise slowly but surely for quite a while, which gave them hope. Although they saw a barren wasteland, in their imaginations it was the same old place: green, lush, and grassy, filled with animals of every shape and size. A bountiful, beautiful paradise. Perhaps Nala was right. Things couldn't get much worse, so really they were bound to get better eventually, weren't they? The pride would get through this together. A smile crossed his lips as he thought about once again living in as beautiful a place as the Pride Lands formerly were.

At about noon, Zazu came flying over to the rock Simba and Nala were resting on. It was probably time for the morning report that he gave every morning. Yet this time was different somehow. In fact, as Simba thought about it, he realized that it was actually about a half hour earlier than he usually told the king his report. It was clear that he had rushed to the scene as fast as possible. Simba began to worry. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good news.

"Sire! I have dreadful news!" Zazu quickly confirmed this as he stood panting, sweaty, and out of breath.

"Why Zazu? What happened?" Simba quickly got to his feet and growled, as he was angry at whatever it was that had disturbed the peace that should have now been around his home.

"It's _him_! He is back!"

"Who?"

"Scar! I found him lying over near the plain! Apparently the hyenas didn't quite succeed, as always…"

Simba was surprised at the mention of his uncle's name and the shocking news. No one ever uttered Scar's name anymore. No one had ever said anything concerning the subject, but it seemed as though it was secretly agreed upon by all the Pridelanders that no one would ever talk about him. They didn't want to remember his reign. He was pushed to the back of their mind and passed over in silence. When it was necessary to recall the pain they and their home had suffered during his rule, they still never said his name.

Simba noticeably cringed. How had he lived? He had fought him and tossed him off that cliff. He was sure that he would either die from the fall or be burned alive. When he saw the hyenas walk up to him angrily, he was absolutely sure that the dark lion's doom was imminent. Simba dug his claws into the ground. He wanted to murder Scar and kill him once and for all. In Simba's eyes, he did not deserve to live for all that he had done.

"Show me, Zazu." Simba said darkly.

With that, Zazu flew ahead, and Simba was about to follow at a swift run below. He wasn't planning on showing any mercy. It was for the good of the pride. If the Pridelands were ever going to return to its state of glory, he would have to get rid of Scar. Nala, however, quickly stopped him.

"What will you do Simba?" Nala said fearfully.

"Enforcing justice. Finally that lion will get what he deserves after what he did to me and my father."

"What do you mean?" Nala looked up at her mate, with worry and confusion clearly showing in her light-colored eyes.

Simba bared his teeth.

"I'll kill him."

At this, Simba ran off after Zazu quickly, while Nala sat puzzled. Kill? Scar? Where on earth had that come from? She had never thought Simba to be a murderer, especially of his own flesh-and-blood uncle, but then again, Scar had killed his own family as well, so perhaps he deserved it. Shooting a strange look at Simba as he bolted off into the distance, she looked behind her and noticed that several of the lionesses had begun to wake up, apparently hearing the commotion outside.

Simba's mother, Sarabi, blinked her brown eyes quickly to clear them of the sleepy haze that surrounded her, and slowly walked up to her daughter-in-law.

"What happened?" The old lioness questioned Nala with a voice that sounded somewhat urgent.

Several of the other lionesses noticed what was happening and began to crowd quietly around Nala and Sarabi, and before she knew it the whole pride had congregated around her to listen to what she had to say. She didn't have to talk very loudly for all of them to hear, however, as there weren't quite as many in the pride as there had been a few days before. All the lionesses that were largely loyal to Scar were upset over his assumed death, and many of them made angry threats against Simba. Those lionesses, including Scar's mate, Zira, had been exiled, and all of their friends had followed behind. Only about half the pride remained, the other half in the Outlands where they had created a new pride, the Outlanders. Nala was a bit sad to see so few lionesses following her and Simba, but since they had stayed she knew she could trust in their loyalty.

"It's Scar… he's, well…" she stammered, noticing the eyes suddenly glued to her at the mention of his name, "… alive."

Instantly the whole pride gasped as if they had been electrocuted. A confused and indistinct murmur erupted through the group of lionesses as they pondered over what he had just said. She could hear bits of their rapid and worried conversation as she sat quietly and waited for her audience to calm down.

"… alive? How is that possible? Simba said he saw the hyenas…"

"… I could have sworn that they had ripped him apart, those hungry idiots. How on earth had…"

"… oh no, what if he comes back? What will happen then?"

Slowly their buzzing began to slow and they calmed down, looking up at Nala to see if she would say more. There was an awkward silence for a moment, before one of the lionesses spoke up.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We have to help Simba!"

Nala hesitated for a moment. Somehow, apparently, they knew about Simba searching for Scar. She still wasn't exactly sure if they should go ahead with this whole plan to find Simba's uncle, but she couldn't really say no to her followers. Besides, she would help Simba no matter what it took. Making up her mind, she turned towards the lioness that had spoken up and nodded to her silently.

"We will help Simba. He may need it. Besides, we are all the loyal followers he has left."

The lionesses all nodded in approval. Nala climbed down the rock and towards the open, barren Pridelands. She turned and looked over her shoulder to make sure that the others were following her, and found that they were all right behind her.

"We've all got your back, Nala," a lioness started out, smiling warmly. Nala relaxed a little and returned the smile. She was ready. Ready to help Simba, her mate, find his uncle. She would be with him through anything, until the very end.

* * *

><p><em>Review please? :)<em>


	3. Ambush

_Author's Notes:_

_Well, hope you all liked the last chapter even though it was a little on the short side. :) A little bit of action/violence in this chapter, but nothing too bad. It's a little longer at least. And thanks to all of you who actually continued to read all the way through Chapter 2. Thanks! :) And I get what you mean, miluvrox, haha. XD_

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Ambush<p>

Zira and Scar stood at the border between the Pridelands and Outlands. Or at least it seemed like the border. They could have been in the Outlands already for all that they knew. They had come to the crest of a small hill and looked down to see the elephant graveyard. Scar stopped. Zira turned around and stood next to him.

"Why here?" Scar questioned. "There are hyenas here, and I'm not exactly"—he paused for a moment—"on the _best_ terms with them."

Zira looked up at him.

"Neither am I, but that is beside the point." She blurted out quickly. Scar glanced over his shoulder at her, thinking her quick response a bit strange. Then she chuckled a little and smiled. She tried again a bit more slowly.

"Your followers are here. Simba, the little brat, exiled them this morning. They've been worried about you."

Scar looked at her with a scowl. Simba ruined everything. He always got in the way. Even when he was a cub, he was constantly pestering him with questions and bragging about how he was going to be king. Little had changed in between then and now. He was still arrogant and annoying. Except now Simba was now a strong young lion who could kill him if he wanted to. He was just like _Mufasa_…

"They are all here? What about Nuka?"

Scar had never really wanted his firstborn son to begin with. He was weak and sickly, and was clearly not a kingly type. He wasn't a suitable heir. But perhaps he had grown on him a bit. In any case, he was curious to see if Simba would exile the innocent cub along too.

"Yeah, the little furball is there."

"Good. Let's go find them." Scar began to walk ahead slowly. He was tired and feeling weak. He hoped they would get to where they were going soon. His eyes began to droop. Zira slowed her pace down for him, but tried to urge him onwards. It was nearly midday now, and the heat was unbearable. The lion and the lioness tried to blend into the shadowy places and stay out of sight. The silence was deafening. There was no sign of Scar and Zira's group, and danger could be lurking behind any nook or corner. They stopped frequently to look around and listen for danger, as well as to rest, but there was no sign of anything. Not a single thing moved and no life was seen, unless the long-dead skulls of elephants were considered life.

Yet something seemed wrong. Very wrong. Scar felt like, somehow, he was being watched. He tried to keep moving quickly, though he was tired, hungry, and unbearably hot because of the sun that kept beating down day after day. It was hard to move as quickly as Zira. She had been moving even faster now. Apparently, he wasn't the only one that felt like he was being watched.

They had wandered farther into the elephant graveyard, and any signs of Zira's new pride were absent. Perhaps they weren't looking hard enough. Finally Scar and Zira stopped. They were near Scar's old cave where he had sung his plot to become king to the hyenas, back when they had been his loyal slaves. The faint hiss of steam from there could be heard from the bottom of the ledge the lion and lioness had stopped at.

Scar collapsed onto his side and rested his head on his forepaws, and Zira went to lie by his side and lick his wounds.

"Simba should have found us by now."

"No." Zira contradicted. "He wouldn't dare show his face in here. Too dangerous."

Scar continued to listen around. A shiver went up his spine. He was being watched by something, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. It wasn't Simba, he finally decided. If it was Simba, he would have shown himself by now. Besides, Simba wasn't one who relied on stealth or smarts, but more brute strength. Others might even come with him. It wouldn't be a surprise when he found them, Scar decided. They were far in the heart of the Outlands; it would take the new king quite a while to find them, if all went the way it should.

Except it didn't.

Suddenly they heard something. A pebble randomly skidded down from another nearby cliff, down to the bottom of the cave where Zira and Scar were. Immediately afterwards frenzied laughter began to reverberate throughout the stone ledges and cave walls. Scar instantly stood up, and Zira looked slightly surprised. She took a step forward, a low growl coming from the back of her throat. Several hyenas finally showed their ugly faces, and in seconds they had surrounded the lions, blocking off their only escape. Scar roared as loud as he could, trying to scare off the hyenas, but they only advanced forward more. Then they finally stopped moving for a moment. One of the hyenas began to speak, a twisted smile on its face.

"_There you are!_ Bet you thought we were finished with you, huh Scar?"

It was Banzai. Beside him was Ed, laughing crazily and in a bloodthirsty way.

"Ha-a-ha-a-ha-a-haha-_ha-a-haha-ha-hahahahahaha!"_

The other hyenas joined in, creating a chorus of manic laughter which was enough to send fear through any victim the hyenas decided to prey upon.

"And you!" Banzai continued, glaring at Zira. "You killed Shenzi!"

Zira growled in irritation.

"I don't care if I killed your precious little hyena girlfriend. Leave! Now!"

Banzai smiled and crept closer.

"Not until I get my revenge on you." He glared at Scar. "And not until we kill him. We are going to finish what we started. He doesn't deserve to live after all the lies he told us."

Banzai stopped talking, and the pack, which was tens of hyenas strong, closed in on their two victims: the lion who they felt betrayed them and the lioness that had saved his life and foiled their revenge.

Scar remembered his previous encounter with attacking hyenas. He knew they wouldn't show him mercy and would not stop until he was dead. There was no use in reasoning with them and far too many for the pair to fight on their own. It would have been so much easier to give up and let the hyenas kill him, but Scar had never been the sort to give up when there was still a chance to live. Thinking quickly, he realized he had one option: scaling the wall.

The hyenas quickly stopped talking and got right down to business, boring down on them. This was Scar's chance. He turned around and, with all his strength, leapt as high as he could toward the rock wall, digging his sharp claws into the side of it. He began to scrabble frantically up the side of the cliff. Zira immediately followed suit, leaping out of the way of several sets of snapping jaws and onto the rock face. Scar clawed zealously at the edge of the ledge and made his way upwards rapidly. The hyenas snapped at his heels but he was too far up the vertical surface. Banzai leapt at the wall and tried to scramble up it, but had much more limited success, since Scar was a much better climber and had sharper claws than Banzai did, using them to furiously scrape into the slab of rock. Suddenly, Zira saw faces looking down on her. She looked up to see about ten hyenas peering over the edge of the wall, waiting patiently for the two lions to come to them. Their teeth were bared viciously and they were sitting calmly. Scar hadn't seen them.

"Scar!"

He hadn't heard her. He was focused only on getting up the wall. She tried to yell again, but suddenly began to slip back downwards towards Banzai and the others.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!" one of them taunted. Banzai began leaping up towards Zira and snapping at her heels again, as well as unsuccessfully attempting to climb up the wall several times.

At this point Scar had begun to tire. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and he was starting to weaken again. He growled with the pain and the effort as he climbed the last few feet up to the top of the cliff. He pulled himself onto the edge and collapsed, only to find shining yellow eyes glancing down at him. He quickly leapt back onto his paws as the hyenas pounced at him. They had caught him completely by surprise, which had given them the advantage over him. One of the hyenas dug its teeth into his shoulder, stunning him as he roared with pain. He swatted the hyena's face with his claws, bringing it to the ground in a bloody heap. He fought hard against the hyenas, bringing several to the ground with his teeth and claws. The hyenas, however, fought smartly, dodging his attacks and waiting for their moment to strike. Watching and waiting, the hyenas finally leapt at Scar as a single entity, rolling him over onto his side. He struggled against them, but they overpowered him until eventually he was on his back. Scar panicked. He tried to claw at them but there was little he could do anymore, since he was on the ground and there were so many of them. The hyenas could finish him off easily, and Zira was unable to save him from them again because of the fact that she was only halfway up the wall. The hyenas quickly dug into his flesh, rending it with their jaws. Dark blood spilled out and coated their muzzles as they laughed brutally. Scar made one last attempt to flip back off of his back, but there were too many hyenas in his way and he was beginning to feel faint. He feebly tried to scrape at them with his claws, but they paid him little mind. One of the hyenas walked over towards Scar's chest, towering over him as his fading green eyes met the eyes of the hyena: pitiless, hungry, and cold-blooded. The hyena laughed and bared its teeth, ready to rip open his throat and end his existence once and for all. Just as the hyena was about to murder their prey lying in the middle of the floor, a small voice caused all the hyenas to stop what they were doing and look to the entrance of the cave. Standing in the light was an older-looking cub with an unkempt, scraggly black mane and beady eyes.

It was Nuka.

"Father!" Nuka shouted from the entrance. All the hyenas were briefly distracted from their victim and they all turned towards the audacious cub. They looked at each other in confusion as the cub came running at them dazedly.

"Who the heck are you?" one of the hyenas spat.

"Looks like our new lunch," another hyena grinned.

Distracted by the cub, they also failed to notice Zira jumping onto the top of the ledge. She had had to fight a few of the hyenas to get to the top, most notably Banzai, who had latched his jaw onto her leg and made himself a hindrance as she tried to climb the wall, which ended up taking her several minutes.

Zira quickly leapt onto the hyenas and proceeded in attacking them. She fought them frantically, and several of the less brave ones simply ran away. The hyenas who had stayed at the bottom of the ledge, including Ed and Banzai, had made their way to the top of the cave through a narrow, winding rocky ledge outside, joining together with the rest of the pack to attack the lioness. She was a good fighter, but the number of hyenas left was still a formidable amount. Luckily, Nuka was not alone, as several other lionesses shot into the cave in a fit of rage. The hyenas were now outmatched. Banzai decided to take his hyenas and wait for another opportunity to get back at Scar and Zira for what they had done to him, since there would surely be other opportunities and they certainly were not going to win now.

"Retreat!" Banzai shouted, bolting out of the cave with Ed.

Most of the hyenas followed in a heap shortly after them. One or two of the lionesses ran after them, and the few hyenas that remained in the cave were quickly picked off by the others. A moment of silence followed. There were no sounds of hyenas laughing, roars, or desperate shouting. The chaotic fight to the death was over. Everything was still. But their worries were by no means ended. Simba was still after them and would probably find them soon, the hyenas were still around and hoping to kill them, and Scar, their king and best hope for revenge, was… well, alive? They weren't really sure yet. The lionesses glanced at each other. So much had happened since Simba's return. If it weren't for him, Scar would still be king of the Pridelands and the hyenas might not be lurking around trying to kill them, and they wouldn't have to be forced to live on the desolate and lonely piece of dirt known as the Outlands. But now wasn't the time to plot their revenge. That would come, in time. They would need to be patient. For now, they had more important things to worry about.

* * *

><p><em>What will happen next? Does Scar live or die? What will happen when Simba finds the Outlanders? What about the hyenas? Keep reading to find out, and don't forget to review! :)<em>


	4. Tracker

_Author's Notes:_

_Here is Chapter 4. Glad to see some people are still reading this. :) This chapter is mostly from Zazu's POV. Some of it is the same events from Chapter 3, but from his perspective. I tried to change it up a little so it wouldn't get redundant. It gets better next chapter, so keep reading! :) And those are my thoughts exactly, miluvrox. I made them fiercer in this fic since they don't do much in the actual movie (until the end). I forgot that hyenas were matriarchal too, but I think I wrote it that way so that you would notice that Shenzi was absent. Those three kind of hung around together, you know? Haha XD_

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Tracker<p>

Zazu flew over the area where Scar had been lying that morning several times, but he couldn't see the dark lion anywhere. Simba had followed Zazu to the spot and had no luck. The dry, dusty weather had done a good job of covering up Scar's tracks, as only the occasional paw print was still remaining in the thin, eroded dirt. Simba had begun to follow his tracks, going from one vague paw print to another, but was quickly baffled by the time he reached the place where Scar had met with Zira. Not realizing that the tracks belonged to two different lions, the circles of prints endlessly confused him. He could have gone off in any direction from there. He looked across the ground for more tracks, but found none. There was absolutely no way he was going to find Scar using only his tracks. He called to Zazu.

"Yes, Sire?"

The big blue bird with the bright beak quickly flew down to Simba's side.

"Have you seen him around?"

Zazu shook his head. They both concluded that he obviously must have moved, as there was no sign of him here. Together, they tried to think of a place where he might go. Eventually they decided that since Scar might have seen Zazu, and his tracks pointed in the direction of the Outlands before they became an indiscernible jumble anyways, he probably hadn't stuck around in the Pridelands for long, fleeing to the Outlands instead.

"Zazu, go look around the Outlands. If anything strange happens or you see Scar, remain hidden and then report to me as soon as you can."

The bird nodded obediently, and with a final 'Yes, Your Majesty' he took off and flew towards the Outlands in search of Scar.

Shortly after Zazu left, several other lionesses showed their faces, including Sarafina, Sarabi, Nala, and most of the rest of the pride. Simba began to say something, but Sarabi cut him off.

"We want to help you Simba."

"Yes, Scar might not be alone," said another. "And if that is the case, we will help you fight him."

Nala walked up to her mate and nuzzled him gently. She looked at him with eyes that were gentle and loving, yet somewhat concerned.

"I don't really think you should kill your uncle, but we will help you if that is what you think is necessary."

Simba looked at them closely. As much as he was against having his mate, mother, and other close friends and relatives get put into jeopardy, he realized that they had a point. He had exiled Scar's followers that morning with the hyenas, and they were no small bunch. If they found Scar, which was likely, then chances are they wouldn't be too happy with Simba for attempting to kill him. He wouldn't be able to take them on alone; he would need all the extra help he could get. Finally, he nodded to them.

"Alright," he said, "you can help me. It might not be easy though."

"We know that," said Sarafina, smiling. They knew it would come with risks attached, yet they came anyways. They loved their new and rightful king and were willing to help him no matter what, and Simba was pleased at the devotion of his loved ones. Perhaps he would turn out to be a good king after all, like his father was… He smiled at the thought of his father, and then smacked the ground with his paw again. He had no doubts about killing Scar. Scar had killed his own brother, and taken away from Simba the one he loved most. Now his jealous and miserable life would end at Simba's paws, he would personally make sure of it. He gathered his lionesses and made his way, slowly but surely, towards Scar's new home: the Outlands.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Zazu had flown far away from the group of lions and had made his way towards the elephant graveyard. He tried to fly high so he wouldn't be spotted, and could see fairly well. It was hot and the sun had illuminated a large part of the region, making it easier for him. However, there did appear to be some clouds on the horizon which had seemingly crept up from nowhere. Zazu hoped it would rain soon, though clouds didn't always mean rain. At least they would soon blot out the sun. He had been flying around trying to spot anything interesting for around ten minutes. Finally his search bore some fruit, as he saw an agitated looking hyena pacing about below him. Hiding inside a large elephant skull nearby, he tried to listen closely, seeing if the hyena would do or say anything that could be of use. Surely enough, the hyena, which wasn't quite a pup or an adult, began to talk to itself.<p>

"Of course they say I'm too young. Why? I'm not a little pup anymore!" the hyena started, growling. "I mean, why shouldn't I be able to attack that lion and his mate? The lioness killed my mother, the pack leader! But no, Banzai said I can't come along, and that he could "avenge Shenzi himself". Maybe _I_ would like to fight too, especially if it is against that lioness that killed mom… oh, and Scar as well! Scar! I'd like to rip that lion in half for starving us to death and abusing us and ordering us around for _years_, after giving him everything he wanted! Where would he be without us?" By this time the hyena was fuming, clawing viciously at a long-dead tree stump. A smile curved its face as it calmed down and began to speak again. "Oh, I'd like to be there with the other hyenas. I want to be the one to sink my teeth down into his throat, so he can feel the pain we felt all that time. Oh if only…"

Zazu didn't say anything. He had heard all he needed to hear, and so he silently stalked out of the skull as the hyena continued with its desperate monologue about how it wished it could fight with its vengeful pack mates. He flew off and began to think. Apparently Scar was with another unnamed lioness that had killed Shenzi, and the pack of hyenas were attacking them or preparing to attack them. They couldn't be far from here. Zazu flew off deeper into the Outlands to investigate. He was worried after a few minutes of searching that he wouldn't be able to find them in time.

He heard the commotion long before he would have spotted it. A nearby cave-like ravine suddenly echoed with hyena laughter. Zazu flew towards the noise. The plateau below him suddenly fell into a ledge overhanging the bottom of a small gorge. The other side of the ravine was a sheer rock wall, and the gorge was bordered on a third side by an even higher cliff edge which hung over the entire gorge, making it like a cave. A small, steep, and dangerous looking path was the only way to get up the edge of the gorge other than climbing, which was practically impossible seeing how steep and vertically inclined the rock wall was. Zazu landed on the edge and looked down. It was hard to see in the shadowy darkness, but he could make out that Scar and Zira were cornered against the other sheer wall of the ravine. Hyenas were blocking their only exit. Slowly the hyenas crept towards them. Zazu quivered a little, and was glad that he wasn't the one being confronted by a pack of formidable and malicious foes like the hyenas. One hyena moved in front of the rest and began to speak.

"_There you are!_ Bet you thought we were finished with you, huh Scar?"

At this the hyenas started to uproar with their cackling and growling. It sent shivers up Zazu's spine as he watched, horrified. He couldn't believe it, but he felt a little bit sorry for Scar. He knew what was going to come to him. A bloody, painful death. The lead hyena turned to Zira, and Zazu happened to recognize him as Banzai.

"And you!" he continued, glaring at Zira. "You killed Shenzi!"

Zira growled in irritation. The other hyena Zazu had listened to had been right. Scar was with a lioness that had apparently killed the leader of the hyena pack. They couldn't have been too happy about that. Though Zazu had no idea it would have been Zira, of all lions… on second thought, perhaps that wasn't too surprising, especially after they had brutally attacked her mate. That would have made her angry indeed, which was apparent in her voice when she spoke again. She roared out loudly inside the cave for all to hear, a noise almost as fearsome as the hyenas' cackles.

"I don't care if I killed your precious little hyena girlfriend. Leave! Now!"

Zazu shivered a little. Zira had never been very nice to him. She yelled at him a lot and he could tell she was raving mad. The hyenas would get her fury; that was for sure. He watched as Banzai smiled defiantly and crept closer to the two lions, clearly unafraid of them, as they had strength in numbers and the advantage of a surprise.

"Not until I get my revenge on you." He then glared into Scar's jade eyes, which were widening with shock and terror. "And not until we kill Scar. We are going to finish what we started. He doesn't deserve to live after all the lies he told us."

The hyenas then stopped with their talking and their raucous laughter. The large pack closed in on them. Scar and Zira would be ripped apart in moments for sure, Zazu thought. But what happened next surprised the little bird. The pair of lions had leapt up onto the sheer face of the rock wall, and Scar was climbing up it, his long, sharp claws digging into the rock. It couldn't have been possible, and yet it was happening. It was clear that Scar wouldn't give up easily. Zazu could sense the desperation the lion felt as he scaled the wall without second thoughts, trying to attempt anything he could so that he could survive another day. The sound of his claws scraping against the wall was hideous, and it was clear that one wrong move by either Zira or Scar would send them plummeting down into the fray, where they would be eaten alive.

Scar had made rapid progress up the wall, being a skilled climber. Zira lagged behind but was still making progress. The hyenas snapped at their heels, trying to bite down on them, but the two of them were too far up the wall. Several hyenas tried to climb up, but found the wall too steep to successfully negotiate.

Suddenly Zazu could see that the hyenas had planned ahead. Several hyenas were waiting patiently at the top. They had clearly cornered the lions, with hyenas placed above and below them, waiting to devour them as their next meal. Zira caught a glimpse of the hyenas at the top and called out for Scar to stop, but he didn't hear her and continued onwards. She then slipped a little and the lead hyena wasted no time in latching onto her leg, dragging her downwards. She tried to kick him off, but he only dragged her downwards even more. Finally she had been pulled to the ground, where she engaged in a battle with several hyenas. She had killed several of them and knocked off the hyena on her leg when she again tried to climb the wall. She was once again beyond the hyenas' reach. She had seen Scar get to the top of the wall and knew that an ambush had been waiting for him to come to them, which was why she was trying to climb the wall a second time. Zazu looked up at the top of the cliff and realized she was right. The hyenas had somehow gotten Scar sprawled out on his back and had pinned him down, revealing the soft, fleshy parts of him to his hungry enemies. Zazu was terrified, barely able to watch as the hyenas laughed triumphantly at Scar while he fought against their grasp. Their foe was theirs now, and they would show no mercy. Finally they dug in; ripping him open with their claws and teeth and tearing the fur and flesh off of their unfortunate prey's body as he desperately struggled for his life against their jaws, making an effort to claw at his attackers as well. Not wanting to see any more of the vicious attack, Zazu looked away. Zira was only halfway up the wall, so there was no way that she would have been able to save him from his excruciating death in time. He didn't see Nuka or the other lionesses charging into the cave that very moment, and assumed that Scar would be all but finished off by his vengeful adversaries by the time Zira was able to come to his aid.

He flew quickly off to tell Simba the news. They could finally go home and not have to worry about the issue anymore. That was good, wasn't it? But as he flew high in the air above the Outlands, he thought. Zazu was troubled by what he had seen. Scar was a murderer, but Zazu still could not shake the feeling of being a bit sorry for him. The hyenas had ripped him up mercilessly and without thought or reason. Did any lion deserve to be killed in such a horrible way? He didn't think so, but maybe he was just going mad. He tried to convince himself otherwise, reminding himself that Scar had killed Mufasa and nearly killed Simba, the king who he, Zazu, was loyal to. Of course he deserved it, didn't he? He still wasn't convinced. Remaining confused, he pushed the matter out of his mind as he hurried and made the return trip to the scorching, brightly illuminated Pridelands. It didn't really matter anymore what he thought about the ambush. He couldn't do anything about it or change the outcome in any way. It was too late now.

Scar would be killed.

* * *

><p><em>Better stuff to come next chapter, and don't forget to review! :) On a seperate note, you guys should all check out the poll on my profile page. I'm already working on a one-shot, but that should be done soon and opinions on what I should write after that are greatly appreciated, so don't be afraid to take a minute and vote! It would mean a lot to me! :)<em>


	5. Flashback

_Author's Notes: _

_Hello everyone, and here is Chapter 5. :) Hope you all like the story so far. Sorry if Simba was OOC last chapter, he's supposed to want to avenge his father against Scar, then learn through the course of the story that he shouldn't. I'd say more, but I don't really want to give the plot away. Sorry if that confused anybody there. xD It's kind of too late to change it completely since it's a major part of the story but maybe I'll reword it a bit so its more clear. Also, readsmanyfavsfew, I actually did have more to the battle scene with the hyenas, but edited it out last minute. It's a bit more violent, but not too bad. I could easily add it back in so I suppose I will do that later. Thanks for the suggestion and it's great to know you're still reading! :)_

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Flashback<p>

Scar was, in actuality, still alive, despite the attacks of his enemies. His son, mate, and loyal followers had saved his life moments before the hyenas would have killed him. He lied on his side, breathing rapidly, and his eyes were wide while his body was frozen to the ground in terror. The pain from his wounds hadn't quite reached his adrenaline-charged body yet. Nuka and the lionesses gradually made their way closer to him. One of them reached out and put her paw on his chest in a reassuring way, which seemed to calm him down slightly since his breathing slowed and his eyes narrowed a bit.

Slowly the lioness pushed him onto his back and looked him over. Apart from the bite mark on his shoulder, all of his major injuries were on his belly and flanks, which had been torn up badly. He didn't have very many wounds, but the ones he did have were painful and jagged. The hyenas had pulled him roughly apart with their jaws, rending his flesh into jagged pieces and leaving it deeply broken. They had also clawed at him ferociously, leaving long, narrow gashes where they had tried to cut him open.

In seconds Scar's adrenaline had worn off and he finally began to feel the pain coming from the deep, bloody cuts where the hyenas had slashed him. He clenched his jaw and began breathing quickly, and his paws tightened as his claws scraped across the ground. The lioness again put a gentle paw on his chest, and then bent over to lick his wounds, which soothed the burning pain somewhat.

Zira kept her distance, but Nuka walked up to his father and looked at him uneasily. The lionesses agreed that they should bring him back to the hunting territory they had proclaimed shortly after Simba had exiled them, and Scar found himself on someone's back.

The lioness who had carried Scar out of the cave had a little bit of trouble getting out of the gorge, and by the time all of them had gotten past the dangerous canyons and jutting edges of the precarious boulders that were in the middle of the elephant graveyard and into its cold and distant outskirts, which were closer to the heart of the Outlands than to the Prideland border, the sun was beginning to set. Slowly the colors began to blur together, as Scar began to slip out of consciousness. He closed his dazed eyes and fell into what appeared to be a dream, or perhaps a memory…

* * *

><p>"Taka!"<p>

A small, skinny lioness cub was standing on a small mound of dirt. She had beady red eyes which carried a calm and playful expression on them. She was grinning widely and looked excited. She ran up to a handsome, dark brown lion a few months older, not quite a cub or an adult, who was standing silently. He ignored her playful circling around him, and began to speak to her in a quiet tone.

"Have you seen Sarafina lately?" The older lion, Taka, asked with a raised eyebrow. The cub frowned as she replied back. "No, I haven't seen her. Besides, why would you want to?" The cub commented sharply with a scowl. Taka looked at her sternly. "Zira, you know as well as I do that I love Sarafina."

"I haven't seen her though, I swear," she muttered quietly, a bit put out that he didn't believe her. Taka's green eyes were focused on the ground instead of the cub. He looked tired and somewhat angry. Zira sat quietly and said nothing else, only looking at him longingly from time to time.

"What about my brother?" Taka asked flippantly.

The cub got to her feet and stood in front of the lion. "Mufasa? No, I haven't seen him around much." She waited for a moment before adding as an afterthought, "Taka, you want to walk down to the water hole together?" Her face lit up, clearly excited about the idea of being able to go with him alone somewhere.

The older lion considered for a few moments, then looked at the eager cub and agreed. Together they walked through the tall grass, not saying a word to each other. Zira was padding along contentedly as they brushed though the high vegetation. As they were approaching the water hole, another cub popped into view.

A creamy colored cub with brown eyes was grooming her paw as she bathed in the rays of the setting sun. It was Sarabi. She was alone, but she quickly noticed the pair that was heading towards her. Zira visibly frowned and walked off a little ways away, quite sad that she wouldn't be alone with the handsome lion she had adored so much. Sarabi and Taka rarely talked to each other, but this time he wanted to ask her something.

"Have you seen Sarafina or my brother around?"

Sarabi glanced up at him indifferently. With no hint of emotion, she replied.

"No I haven't seen them. Why? Do you still want to take Sarafina as your mate?"

"Of course I do. I love her. Unfortunately, though, I haven't seen her much lately. I thought maybe you knew where she was."

Sarabi ignored the last part. Instead, she looked at him skeptically and furrowed her brows together, asking slowly, "Are you sure Taka?"

Taka bared his teeth a little, offended. "What exactly are you saying?"

Sarabi rose to her feet and quickly responded, "What I mean is that you haven't seen her at all lately, and she doesn't seem as love struck by you as she once was. Also Mufasa has been disappearing as well, and both of them are sometimes gone at the same time for several hours. How close exactly are you two?"

Taka stood silently for a few minutes. His green eyes flashed with anger at such a thought, but he tried to keep from snapping at her. Finally, he said, with more confusion than anger in his voice, "No. Not Sarafina. She wouldn't cheat on me. We love each other. Besides, Mufasa knows I love her too. He wouldn't take her away from me like that. He's my brother. We're family."

Sarabi sat down coolly and continued. "Taka, this isn't the first time this has happened. I've told you this before. Don't take Sarafina as your mate. Many lions in the pride have taken lionesses as their mates only to regret it later. And I don't think Sarafina loves you as much as you say she does."

Finally the lion snapped. "Look, I didn't come here for your advice. I just wanted to know where Sarafina was. If you will excuse me, I'll just be going now." He turned and darted off quickly, leaving an indifferent Sarabi and a saddened Zira off in the distance. Finally he slowed down. He would find Sarafina. He knew she loved him, he just knew it. She would be around somewhere.

Night was falling, and it was getting very dark. Taka knew the way from the waterhole well, but decided to take a different route today. He wasn't very familiar with the path he was taking, but was able to get close to home when he heard a strange noise coming from a small cave nearby. It sounded like voices. He moved in closer until eventually he was able to spy in the cave.

He was shocked, though at the same time he knew it had been inevitable. Sarabi had been right; Sarafina and Mufasa were together in the cave. They were cuddled up next to each other and Mufasa was licking Sarafina gently and talking to her in a low, quiet voice. Sarafina was not resisting, but was purring gently, a soft sweet note that filled the cave.

Enraged and forgetting that he had been spying on them, Taka ran to the entrance of the cave and growled.

"How dare you!"

Sarafina and Mufasa quickly sat up and exchanged worried glances. Taka glared angrily at Mufasa, walking slowly towards his older brother. Sarafina appeared to relax slightly, but Taka continued,

"_Both of you!_"

Sarafina tensed up, and then got to her paws quickly. She opened her mouth to say something in her defense, but an enraged Taka cut her off while he took a threatening step towards Mufasa.

"Why Mufasa? Why?" He growled. Slowly tears came to his eyes and he sobbed angrily, gasping for breath. The cave was silent for several moments, only the lion's sobs being heard as he looked at the cave's floor. Mufasa didn't say anything, but just looked worriedly at his brother, whose face was hidden in the shadow of the moonlight as he sat at the edge of the cave. Finally his head rose and he looked Mufasa in the eye. His green eyes were unlike how Mufasa had ever seen them before: they shone with anger and hatred in the shadows. He skulked towards Mufasa, growling.

"I'll make you regret this, Mufasa."

"Don't do this, brother." Mufasa had risen to his paws and bared his teeth. The two brothers circled around each other as Sarafina crawled to the back of the cave and hid behind a rock. She watched the two brothers with worry. Finally, Taka leapt at his brother, and the two tumbled into battle. Mufasa didn't want to particularly hurt his brother, but he found it hard to defend himself from him. Taka was quick and was a brave fighter when he was angry, and Mufasa found himself fighting against his brother with all the skill he had. However, their skirmish only lasted a few seconds. Pride Rock wasn't far from the cave, and their father Ahadi had heard them. A dark lion like Taka, he charged into the cave, and was in shock to find the two fighting. With an ear-splitting roar, Ahadi caused the brothers to stop fighting and look up at their father. Taka backed up slightly, away from Ahadi.

Ahadi didn't even bother to ask what had happened. Favoring Mufasa as always, he automatically assumed that Taka had started the fight and had absolutely no reason to do so. He hadn't seen Sarafina, and even if he had, he wouldn't have asked why she was there or even cared in the slightest.

"You!" he said in a voice as strong as iron. "How _dare_ you attack Prince Mufasa?"

Mufasa didn't stand up for his brother. In fact, he didn't say a word. He just sat in place and stared stolidly at his father. Ahadi didn't look at Mufasa or say anything to him, nor was he planning on it. Instead he leapt at his other son, and in a single move pinned him to the ground, holding him there with a grip far too strong for the small lion to escape from.

"I'm going to do to you what I should have done a long time ago. I'm going to teach you a lesson, and make sure you never disobey me or your brother with your mischief _ever again_!"

Taka squirmed in fear, trying to escape his punishment. He was afraid of what was going to happen to him. Holding him down with a firm paw, Ahadi brought his other paw back, and in a strong swing slashed his own son across the eye. Taka cried out and shielded his head with his paws, hoping that his father wouldn't do anything more to him, but Ahadi again brought his paw back and hit him several more times across the body, as well as biting at him with his sharp teeth, ignoring Taka's yelps in pain. The small lion had stopped squirming, and instead lied there limply, waiting for the brutal attacks to end. Blood trickled down his face, and when Ahadi finally got off of him, Taka was too weak to move.

"I never considered you mine; always remember that. And if I see you causing trouble with my son, Prince Mufasa, ever again, the consequences will be much more severe."

With that, Ahadi left the cave. Mufasa followed behind, not even glancing at his brother. A few minutes later, Sarafina followed; she looked down at Taka, but merely stepped over him, leaving his broken body untouched on the floor. Finally the weak little lion reached up and felt around his left eye, where he had been slashed by his father. A deep gash was there, and he wondered how long it would be there for. Getting up slowly, he limped towards a nearby pond. It took him an unbearably long time to close the little bit of distance, and finally he collapsed onto his side next to the pond. After washing some of the blood off with the cool water, he looked down at the water's surface, which was illuminated by the moonlight. He could see the painful cut across his eye, fresh and bleeding.

Somehow, he knew things would never be the same.

* * *

><p><em>Well, that's how I think Scar may have gotten his scar. Yes, I know the official story is that he got slashed by a buffalo or whatever but I thought I'd change it up a bit, since this is an AU anyways. I will probably have more flashbacks later, since I didn't say much about anything that happened before right before he got his scar, so... yeah, that'll come later.<em>

_On a seperate note, my second fic, a one-shot, is almost done and should be published today or tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that. :) Today is the last day to vote on what my third fic should be, so if you haven't voted already then this is your last chance!_

_Thanks so much for reading guys and feel free to review! :)_


	6. Bounty Hunters

_Author's Notes:_

_Hey everyone! Sorry I wasn't able to update yesterday, I ending up doing lots of stuff, including sitting in a restraunt listening to guys talk about helicopters and tanks and crap for THREE HOURS... not fun, lol xD... then when I got back, I tried to finish that other one-shot I said I'd be finished with yesterday. Unfortunately, though, I pretty much was up at midnight and practically falling asleep because of writer's block. The ending was tormenting the heck out of me because I didn't want to go all OOC, so I had to put it off. But I finally finished and published it today! :) It's called My Little Secret, so I would be super happy if I got some reviews on it (especially considering how long it ended up taking me... -.-). _

_I just closed the poll as well, so thanks to all of you who voted. I actually have a prologue for Ignominious written and will get it up soon. xD_

_Anyways, about this chapter... Chapter 6 is Zazu's and Simba's POV, so hope you guys like it. :) Also, ArizonaSivy, don't worry about Scar dying. I'm pretty much like super obsessed with him and I'm a huge fan too, so I wouldn't kill him off that easily, especially since that's like... pretty much the whole reason I wrote this fic. xD One day I watched TLK and was like "Forget that, he just falls of a cliff and dies? Yeah that's stupid. What the heck I'll write something where he lives. Take that Simba." Haha. Glad you like it and stuff. :) On a seperate note, I have to say I love your avvy! :) *hi-5 for Scar avatars*_

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Bounty Hunters<p>

Simba and his party had split up and some had searched throughout the Pridelands, in case Scar had hidden somewhere within their lands. Most of them, however, continued for the Outlands, waiting for news from Zazu. About half an hour after they had sent him, as the sun began to go down, the little bird came right back to them, upon which Simba asked him for whatever news he might have found.

Zazu looked at Simba, and as he told him the news about Scar's assumed death at the hands of his hyena enemies, he expected Simba to be happy. But, much to Zazu's surprise, Simba was the exact opposite of happy. He didn't just want the death of his uncle: he wanted to murder him himself. Zazu, a little disturbed at finding this out, wasn't quite sure if Simba normally acted this way. After all, he had disappeared for years and had only reappeared a few days ago. Zazu didn't know him well, and so he remained silent while Simba began pacing and growling madly around him. His eyes had a crazed and bloodthirsty look, which scared Zazu a little bit more, causing him to back up a few steps. The lionesses, however, especially Nala, looked considerably frightened at Simba's sudden change. His unexpected behavior reminded them of Scar during his crazy years, which none of them particularly wanted to recall. Now that they thought about it, Simba had been acting strange lately…

Nala walked up to Simba's side and attempted to get him to relax by nuzzling him, but this only agitated him more.

"Simba, violence wouldn't have been the answer. Killing your uncle wouldn't have made you feel better. He's finally dead. Let's forget it and go home."

"No! You don't understand! He needs to feel the pain that _I_ went through! Now he can never know just what he did to me!"

"Simba, no! Revenge isn't good… That's exactly what Scar had wanted!"

Simba ignored her and only responded with a growl. It was clear that nothing she could say to him would have any effect, so she stood silently and waited somewhat impatiently for his strange behavior to subside on its own. Finally Simba appeared to calm down a little, and after a few tense moments, he was back to his normal self. Still not saying anything and clearly upset, he turned towards Pride Rock and started walking back towards his home with the air of someone who has been defeated.

Nala and the others exchanged confused glances, but went home as well. Zazu flew up high in the sky and was back to Pride Rock long before the others. Flying into a small nest on top of a very large tree stump which served as his home, Zazu looked around. There was still no sign of Simba, or any of the other lions for that matter. To be honest, Zazu didn't particularly like Simba. He was loyal—absolutely—but Simba seemed kind of… hmm… he hadn't really thought about it before. He remembered Simba as a cub, and he was kind of annoying. Actually, he annoyed him a lot. As much as he had liked Mufasa, looking after Simba was a chore. Now he wasn't exactly annoying, but he was constantly moping about his father and seemed obsessed over killing Scar. He seemed determined, but at the same time… lost. It was as if he didn't know what he was doing or something. Perhaps he was a little irresponsible as well, probably from all those years of hanging out in a jungle doing nothing with Timon and Pumbaa, though of course Zazu didn't exactly know about that.

He sat down inside his nest and looked over at the horizon, which clearly depressed him. Large, flat, barren desert was all that stretched out in nearly every direction, except for the Savannah far beyond the Outlands. He had never been there; only flown near it briefly when he was young and liked to explore a lot. It was far beyond anyplace he had ever been to before or since. It seemed kind of nice looking at it from the distance he had been at, but then again at the time the Pridelands had been a lush and bountiful place, and they hadn't ever thought of anything farther away than the elephant graveyard. The Savannah stood still on the horizon: vast, distant, and unchanging. It was like a star, always being visible as a yellow patch on the very verge of what one could see. It never went anywhere, or changed in size or shape or color. It was just there, and no one really thought about it.

Until now.

Without knowing exactly what he was doing, Zazu found himself flying high above the ground, and towards the elephant graveyard. Except this time he wasn't going to the Outlands. He was going _beyond_ the Outlands. He wasn't going to tell anyone where he was going, even though he felt somewhat obligated to. He would be back soon enough, as he was only intending to go to the Savannah to see if it could be a suitable temporary or even permanent home. He would look and see if there was enough food and water to support their pride, and if any lions were there already. Then he would go back and tell Simba. Having made this up in his mind, he felt better and flew as fast as he could towards the golden blanket in the distance.

In about ten minutes, he was above the border between the Pridelands and the Outlands. As vague as it was now, he looked down and could see that he had made little progress towards the Savannah, and was beginning to tire ever so slightly. For some reason, he was reminded of something he heard Rafiki once say: "Look beyond what you see." Well, the Savannah seemed to be almost beyond what he could see, and he had made little progress towards it. Perhaps it was farther away than he had thought, in which case he could end up flying for several hours. If it really was that far away, it would probably take _days_ for just one lion to cross that distance, never mind a whole group. In addition, it was common knowledge that the Outlands were dangerous. Moving might not be such a good idea, but then again… He looked back at the dusty Pridelands, and thoughts of not continuing on were pushed from his mind. He had to go, even if it took him all day. He felt a strange obligation to, which seemed stronger than the obligation he had to stay at Pride Rock with Simba.

After about an hour he had wound up in the heart of the Outlands, and decided to rest, as he was tired. Settling down on a dead tree branch, he ruffled up his feathers and then tucked his large bill under his wing, which was what he usually did when he rested after a long flight. As much as he reminded himself that this was very dangerous territory and that he should stay awake, he really was tired… Slowly the colors began to blend together and his eyes blinked shut. He seemed to be asleep for just one peaceful moment, before…

"Gotcha!"

Zazu jerked awake. Great, had he fallen asleep? How could he be so stupid as to fall asleep? Now he would really be in trouble.

"Hey look who it is! It's majordomo bird! Hahaha!"

Zazu looked up and found, to his dismay, that he couldn't recognize the hyena pinning him to the ground. By his side, however, was Ed, as well as another female hyena which Zazu didn't recognize, but by her looks reminded him vaguely of Shenzi. They didn't appear to be the smartest trio of hyenas, and looked only a bit smarter than Ed.

"No please, not the birdie-boiler!" Zazu protested.

The hyena didn't say anything, but grinned a little. Ed, as usual, burst out laughing for no reason.

"No no, not the birdie-boiler for you. As much fun as it is to boil birds, I'm afraid we hyenas have a bit of trouble… oh, I don't know, finding poor little animals to devour. Hornbill sounds pretty good! What do you guys think?" The male hyena glanced over his shoulder at his two companions. Ed grinned and laughed dumbly, nodding his head rapidly. The female hyena also grinned and eyed Zazu hungrily.

"Oh no, you wouldn't want me! I'm too scrawny and I'd be all tough and… Ew!" Zazu protested, squirming under his paw.

"You think we care? We are starving for blood, starving for revenge, starving for food… We are starving! So just shut up and let us eat you!" The female hyena spoke up for the first time. Ed burst out laughing, which was really starting to get on Zazu's nerves. If only he could distract the dim-witted trio for a few seconds, he could make his escape.

"Yeah! You know, Hinikiza is right!" he agreed, looking down at him. There was silence for a moment before he looked over his should and called back to his companions again. "Ha, what do you call a hornbill with a horned bill?" he shouted randomly to the female hyena, barely able to suppress a chuckle. As much as they wanted to eat him, it was clear that they just had to have a little fun first.

"I don't know. What, Kijinga?" She said with a giggle.

"A rhinoceros! Hahahahahaha!" he replied with raucous laughter. Ed burst out another one of his laughing fits and all three hyenas began laughing so loud that Zazu thought he was going to go deaf. Feeling Kijinga, the male hyena, loosen his grip, however, gave him an idea, and though he didn't pretend to understand their dumb joke in the slightest, he also laughed loudly and asked his captors to tell another one.

Kijinga, seemingly forgetting that he had wanted to eat Zazu about five seconds before, absentmindedly agreed.

"All right, all right," he said to quiet the still laughing hyenas. When their laughter died down, he finally continued, "What do you call an ant with a limp?"

Snickering, Hinikiza replied in a voice no louder than a whisper, "What?"

There was a moment of silence as the two hyenas waited for what Banzai was going to say next. Zazu rolled his eyes. He already knew the answer. Antelope. But somehow, the two hyenas sat in suspense as if they had no idea what he was going to say. They probably didn't.

Right on cue, Kijinga burst out laughing, and, barely able to say anything, he yelped out, "Antelope! Hahahahahaha!"

Zazu rolled his eyes but again forced laughter. The three hyenas were laughing even more crazily than before, and the hyena's grip on Zazu again loosened. Staying still and not giving the hyenas any reason to believe that Zazu could imminently escape, he again asked Kijinga to tell another joke, and got the same response from him.

"Hmm…" he mused, "Well…"

"Oh! Oh! I got one!" Hinikiza interrupted. Laughing raucously, she screamed out, in a voice loud enough to wake the dead, "Why can't you play cards with big cats?"

Oh boy. That had to be the oldest joke in the Pridelands. Zazu rolled his eyes to the sky but again remained silent as all three hyenas laughed and waited for her response.

"Because, haha, they're…" Hinikiza started out, barely able to catch her breath, "Cheet-ahs! Bahahahaha!"

Apparently that was just too much for Kijinga, who actually fell over and began rolling on the floor from one of the dumbest jokes Zazu had ever heard. Catching all three hyenas off their guard, he wasted not a single moment and leapt into the sky, flapping his wings and taking off. By the time the hyenas had even noticed what had happened, Zazu was already in the air and out of reach.

"Hey!" the male hyena yelled, "You tricked us!"

"Yeah! You'd better watch your back, little birdie, because we aren't stupid! We'll get you next time!" Hinikiza screamed.

Zazu couldn't help but laugh just a little, as he flew ever deeper into the unknown territory beyond where he had ever been.

* * *

><p><em>Well, in case you were wondering, the two hyenas there were OCs, I guess. I just kind of put them there for this chapter, so they don't really do anything. In Swahili, the name Hinikiza means bored and Kijinga means stupid. This is according to the all powerful Google Translate, lol. xD I'm not really a big OC person in my fics, since it can get really confusing really fast. I only really plan on having one major one. She comes next chapter, so stay tuned and don't forget to review. :)<em>


	7. The Next Day

_Author's Notes:_

_Chapter 7, here it is! Scar's POV in this chapter. Also introducing my only major OC, Mahiri. She plays a preeeetty big part in this story. This chapter is important, even if it doesn't necessarily make sense at first. In any case, hope you all have a great Christmas/holiday and enjoy reading. _

_On a seperate but fic-related note, I put up the prologue to my new fic, Ignominious. Pretty much about Scar's life, so you guys should all check it out. I'd be super happy if you did. __It's really short, but I'll try and work on a coherent first chapter today. Hopefully I won't get writer's block or anything. I have several more fic ideas down the road, and I hope I can get around to them all. I'll figure something out I'm sure, so stay tuned! :D_

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: The Next Day<p>

Scar woke up and felt only a little bit better than he had before. He wasn't bleeding as badly but was still in significant pain. Apparently he had slept for a long time, as it was nearly noon and the sun was beginning to, as usual, beat down mercilessly on the land and dry up everything in its path. He blinked himself awake and found that he had been placed gently near the edge of a small pond, which had somehow kept itself wet in spite of the baking drought. Finding that he was inevitably looking down at the cool, inviting water, Scar very slowly bent his head towards the water and lapped it up greedily. Having drunk his fill, he relaxed somewhat and settled down on his forepaws. He looked down at the water's clear, mirror-like surface, and, seeing his scarred face appear in the water, was reminded of his vivid memory. No matter how many years went by, he could never quite forget the day he got his scar.

Suddenly in a bad mood, he looked away from the water and instead at the distant horizon. No animals were seen, even near the water, and he could see far across the land and even into the open Savannah that was beyond where any Pridelander or Outlander living had ever set their paws. Sometimes he wondered what was out there, but it was a faraway and dangerous place and so going there didn't seem like a very good idea. The lions had lived around Pride Rock for generations. It had been all that they had needed, and so they had rarely had to go beyond the Pridelands and had never had to go near the outskirts of the Outlands. But then again, times were changing. Moving away from Pride Rock was indeed a possibility now.

Sitting quietly, he looked behind him to see that a little ways away were a few lionesses, some who he recognized. Zira was there, scowling as usual, as well as some of his other loyal followers. One of them, a dark, almost black lioness with narrow, ice blue eyes, had now noticed that Scar was awake and promptly padded over to him. As she drew closer, he could see that she was the same lioness who was with him in the cave and had carried him on her back. In fact, he noticed that her back was still a bit bloody. Apparently she hadn't washed herself off yet. She slowed down as she drew nearer to him, and then quietly settled down by his side.

"Hello, _Scar_," she said softly, his name coming out of her mouth as a soft purr. "How are you today, my king?"

He looked at her with a somewhat confused expression, but was not particularly annoyed yet by her seemingly forward nature. He allowed her to get just a bit closer to him.

"Alright, I suppose," he replied stoically. He actually felt horrible and was bloody, weak, and tired, but didn't really want to say that.

"Are you feeling better?" she pressed, not wanting to do anything else until he said something more to her.

Scar wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone, and was tempted to simply shrug the question off or reply indifferently again, but she had saved his life and so he supposed she deserved an honest answer.

"Not particularly," he finally said, truthfully. While it was true that he wasn't bleeding as badly as the night before, he had still slept for quite a while after having nearly died, and the lionesses hadn't really been sure if he would ever wake up. He couldn't even stand up, which frustrated Scar since that meant he couldn't hunt on his own. The lionesses would have to look after him until he recovered. He accepted their help since he had no choice, but his normally distrustful and solitary existence did not like being left helpless and vulnerable.

"Well, hmm…" she muttered thoughtfully, staring off into the horizon for a moment, "in any case, I brought you some food."

From somewhere behind her, she got up and grabbed a haunch of meat and set it down in front of him. It was hyena meat: the lionesses were not about to waste any potential source of food, and as meat from animals like zebras or antelope was a rare and precious delicacy, they had to make do with the dead hyenas in the cave, or the ones that had run away but were also killed. There wasn't a lot of meat on the bone, as the hyenas too had become skinnier and forced to look even harder for enough food to support them all after the drought.

Scar, however, did not complain or even notice. He must have been hungrier than he had thought, because she had no sooner set it on the ground than he had attacked it with his teeth, gulping down the tough meat more quickly than he realized. In moments the shank of meat had been devoured, and Scar's clean white muzzle and his soft paws were now soaked in blood.

The lioness simply looked at him in a quiet, collected way, as Scar began to lick his paws clean of the sticky blood. Finally he looked up at her.

"What was your name again?"

The lioness got to her paws and told him her name for the first time.

"I am Mahiri," she said quietly, yet with a voice that hinted of strength.

He took another look at her. She looked kind of like him, in fact, as she was long and lanky and had sharp claws which stuck out of white-padded paws. The rest of her body was the darkest brown of any lion he had ever seen. She had dark eyelids, which covered two narrow eyes that were a bright, pale blue.

Mahiri. Hmm. Perhaps she could be useful… maybe even as useful as Zira.

As if on cue, Zira conveniently popped up a little ways away from behind a shriveled-up bush. She looked upset, which wasn't strange for her, but Scar still wondered what was troubling her. Not noticing Mahiri at all as his attention was on Zira, he was suddenly jolted out of his reverie as he felt a muzzle and a warm tongue thrust up against his nose. Jumping slightly, he noticed Mahiri practically on top of him, engaged in a hard, feline kiss.

Scar drew his head back in surprise, and tilted his head at Mahiri, as if demanding an explanation for why she had suddenly kissed him. But Mahiri didn't notice him. She was glancing over towards where Zira had been, and as he followed her line of vision, he noticed Zira had promptly disappeared. Mahiri looked over there, and Scar could see hate and disgust in her cold eyes. Not at all understanding what was going on, he began to ask for an explanation, but it fell on deaf ears. Mahiri, who was obviously completely focused on whatever she had been thinking about, quickly forgot about Scar as she leapt towards where the other lionesses were and padded away with a sharp growl, leaving him alone.

He remained alone and befuddled for quite a while, and it was well into the afternoon when another lioness he didn't recognize finally appeared for a drink at the meager pond.

"Have you seen Zira?" he promptly asked her, getting straight to the point of what had been bothering him.

The lioness shook her head, and with a sigh responded slowly and quietly.

"No. I haven't seen her, but I know she went out hunting about… oh, I don't know, a few hours ago."

"Did she say anything before she left?"

"Not anything I could hear. In any case, I don't think she did." She again replied, lifting her head up from the quiet, clear water as she finished her drink. She took a look at him, and asked her own question.

"Are you feeling okay? It looks like you're still bleeding to me."

Scar looked at where he had been weakly lying the whole day. There was actually a significant amount of blood there, which he somehow hadn't noticed. She glanced over at him, and, gently rolling him over onto his side with a paw, began to lick his wounds carefully.

Scar didn't pay much attention to it, as he was thinking about Zira instead. He could tell that she was mad about something: she had gone hunting. Zira always went hunting when she was angry; that was a commonly known fact. Back when she and Scar had been living in Pride Rock during Mufasa's reign, she had been one of the best huntresses that had lived there, if not the best. Whenever there was a hunting party, Zira was always able to bring down several large antelopes or zebras, and was always upset during the rare occurrence that, despite the fact that the hunt was by no means a competition, someone else killed more prey than she did. She loved hunting, and it seemed to be what she lived and breathed. She loved quietly stalking her query, then bolting after it with amazing speed. Most of all, she loved pouncing on it and killing it. She loved the crazed fear in her prey as she brought it down, and the innocent blood that spilled all over her as she snapped its neck or bit into its soft throat. For most lionesses, it was a necessity, and something that simply had to be done so the pride could eat. But not to Zira. For her, it was more of a sport, and so she had resorted to the joy she found in hunting to cheer her up when she was angry. But, unfortunately for her, there was almost no prey to be found anymore in the Pridelands, and she almost always returned empty-handed and in an even worse mood than when she had left. She still resorted to hunting to cheer herself up, but it rarely worked, and so she would return and retreat off angrily and remain by herself all night and into the next day, much to the relief of the other lionesses, most of who feared her greatly.

Having finally finished cleaning his wounds, the lioness rolled him back over and left quietly, upon which he slowly stretched and began to fall asleep once again, as he was beginning to become tired. Zira would probably be very upset when she returned, and he had a feeling that she would be mad at him, her mate, despite the fact that he didn't actually do anything with Mahiri. If there was any single word to describe Zira, it would definitely be possessive. Oh well, he thought. He would talk to her when she got back from her hunting. Maybe, just maybe, she would catch some unfortunate, lost animal today. How nice that would be…

Finally the dark lion drifted off to sleep, as the sun slowly began to set and withdraw its warmth from the land below, leaving it cold and barren until the time when it would again rise to begin another miserable day.

* * *

><p><em>In case you were wondering, Mahiri actually means sly in Swahili. xD So that's where that came from. If you liked this chapter, then don't forget to drop a review. Your thoughts are welcome! :) <em>

_-Twin out._


	8. A Bird, a Baboon, and a Problem

_Author's Notes:_

_Well, looks like this is the longest chapter so far! Thanks to all of you who are still reading. This is from Nala/Simba's POV. Anyways, hope you all had a great Christmas! Haha, our power went out up here and we had a gift card for the movies so... that's what I did. xD It was really weird, but then we ended up opening our gifts today. My dad surprised me with a Scar plushie, so I'm super psyched about that. Also got an iTunes gift card, so I'm actually listening to Be Prepared on my iPod as I'm writing this *loves that song so so so much* xD I feel like such a fangirl, haha._

_Also, I'd like to thank readsmanyfavsfew for their advice. Great to know you are still reading and I'll try to incorporate all that into my later chapters, thanks. :)_

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: A Bird, a Baboon, and a Problem<p>

As Scar fell asleep near the pond in the Outlands, the setting sun threw its last rays against Pride Rock, creating and mixing light and shadow across the rocks as the sun set under the horizon with fiery, beautiful colors. It was the sort of sunset that rarely came around, and it had put most of the Pridelanders into a happier, more hopeful mood than the past few days' events had merited.

All the Pridelanders except for Simba.

Zazu had left the day before and had still not returned. Though it was unknown to the little bird, his absence had a marked effect on Simba, who, ignorant to the fact Zazu had left to find a solution for the Pridelands and its inhabitants, immediately assumed that Zazu was disloyal. Unfortunately, this also meant that Simba began to seriously call into question the allegiance of his lioness followers, despite the fact that not a single one of them planned on leaving him anytime soon. Though they constantly reassured him that they would always remain by his side and that Zazu probably didn't leave due to disloyalty, Simba was definitely not convinced and, in a manner similar to Scar's, had become constantly paranoid about his subjects and their devotion to him. Nala and the other lionesses knew that they needed his help, so they put up with it despite the fact that it had reminded them of their former ruler and his behavior had begun to worry them quite a bit.

"He left me, Nala. He left me. Promise me you won't leave me too."

Simba droned on for about the millionth time, staring vacantly towards the horizon.

"I'll never leave you, Simba. Zazu… he didn't leave because he was disloyal. I know he didn't." She didn't actually know why Zazu left; none of the lionesses did. But then again, Zazu could have gotten lost, or hurt, or killed, or eaten… there were other possible reasons for his disappearance. She nuzzled Simba's side, clearly concerned about him. He didn't return the affectionate gesture, and didn't appear convinced of what she had said at all. He merely looked down at the ground and idly pawed at some dirt. His face looked tense as his brows furrowed together and his forehead became coated with sweat. He'd been that way all of the previous evening, all through the night, all morning, and all afternoon; it didn't appear he would stop worrying about it anytime soon.

"Simba? What's bothering you? I mean, what's _really _bothering you?" she glanced over at him concernedly. Somehow she didn't think _all_ of his emotional turmoil was because of Zazu, though it had caused quite a bit of it.

He actually looked up at her. The crazed look that had been in his eyes slowly faded away and he looked at her seriously.

"Zazu's gone. My pride has been ripped in half. Everyone is leaving me. And," he continued, anger filling his eyes once again, "it's all _his _fault. Scar…" he growled softly yet dangerously, smacking a pebble away with his paw for emphasis.

Nala stared at him and nodded.

"I see," she began, getting to her paws and moving quietly until she was in front of her mate, making sure that she still had his attention before she continued, "maybe you should see Rafiki, Simba. I'm getting really worried…"

To her surprise, Simba actually paid attention to her for a few seconds as she said this. She had expected him to not notice at all, or vacantly ask her why Zazu was gone for about the hundredth time.

"Nala, I'm fine. I don't need to see Rafiki…" he said half-heartedly.

"Please Simba," she said, nudging his side. "It would mean a lot to me if you just went over there and talked to him. I'll go with you if you want."

Simba appeared to lighten up just a tad at Nala's offer to accompany him, though his face was still serious and dark-looking.

"I'll go, but keep in mind that I am only doing this for you, not for anyone else."

Nala nodded and ran towards the base of Pride Rock before waiting for Simba. She hoped that the wise baboon shaman of the Pridelands would have some wisdom or advice for Simba to help him. She hoped for that very, very much. Simba's madness was, to her, reminiscent of Scar and his paranoia. His reign over the Pridelands had not been good for anyone, not even Scar himself. He had become wild, crazy, irreversibly warped as his sanity left him one slow step at a time. He was tormented by the fact that he hadn't been respected as much as Mufasa, and his jealousy and rage had reduced him to little more than a raving lunatic. She remembered the day that Simba came back, and how Scar had mistaken him as Mufasa, which confused him out of his mind. Only someone as crazy as Scar would have mistaken Simba as his father, who had been dead for years. Perhaps his madness was guilt, or pressure. No one really knew, or bothered to think back to those times. It brought back painful and personal memories for Nala as well. Some of them she had locked so deep inside her that no one ever knew about them. Not her friends, not her relatives, not even Simba. She would never forget that day, shortly before Simba's return, when she had gone up to Scar's cave to ask him for help. He'd said something to her, which she had ignored, and then… he was circling her. The look in his eyes was crazed, thirsty… She still remembered what he had said to her. "Nobility in every gene… she had to be my queen…" What did that mean? She didn't know, but that was when he had done what she would never forget.

"Nala, I thought you said you were coming with me? Let's get this over with."

Simba had gone a little ways in front of her, and he was looking at her blankly over his shoulder, waiting. He snapped her out of her thoughts and back into reality, and she finally glanced back at him distractedly. She was still thinking about Scar, and had to try quite hard to push those thoughts out of her mind as she walked on.

"Yes, uh, of course. Be right there."

Nala padded back to his side and started slowly in front of him, and the couple made their way to Rafiki's baobab tree. The tree was still there despite the drought, though it looked more dead than alive and had a lot less leaves on it than it had had in previous years. They could see a small, frail silhouette among the base of where the branches spread out widely. It was Rafiki, sitting in his tree contentedly. As Simba and Nala made their way up into the old baobab, they could see the baboon, unaware of their presence, absent-mindedly painting some figure on the side of one of the branches with paints and fruit juices.

Nala froze for a moment. She had never been inside Rafiki's tree before, and she found that she could do nothing but stare and marvel at all the paintings Rafiki had made over the years. At first she had thought them to be merely random figures, but as she looked closer she could see that they were not random at all. No, it was a whole history of Pride Rock, portrayed in the spaces of the thick branches. There were figures of lions, depictions of battles, and couples sitting together with little cubs scampering at their feet… it was simple, yet stunning and beautiful. She looked towards where Rafiki had been painting, and she could see that on the branch next to it was a family tree of the Pride, with the royal family being in the middle. All the way at the top was a simple drawing of a single, old looking lion, and from there it continued down for what looked like scores of generations, each represented by a lion and a lioness, their siblings, cubs… Finally, towards the bottom, she recognized Simba, a little lion with a red mane, as well as a small little drawing of herself next to him. The drawing appeared to be smeared slightly, but it was no doubt him. She looked up above the little drawing and found one of Mufasa, Simba's father, which was also slightly smeared. To his right was his brother, a smaller lion with a black-painted mane, Scar, with Zira and Nuka around him.

Looking at all this, she had become distracted, and had failed to notice Simba and Rafiki looking at her intently. When she finally noticed the awkward silence and the two sets of eyes on her, she jumped a little and began to stammer out nervously, "I was just looking at these… paintings. They're very lovely."

"Yes, yes. They tell everything. What was, what is, and what _may_ be." The baboon began vaguely, "so I see you have brought Simba here."

Nala was about to say something, but Simba jumped in and began on his own.

"Yes, she wanted me to see you for some wisdom or something," he said unenthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, I see. So tell me, what troubles you, friend?"

"Well, it's Scar." Simba said quietly, looking down at the ground below as a melancholy silence passed between them. After a moment of thought, Simba continued, the anger clear in his voice. "He killed my father, he's ripped the pride in half, and he's… a horrible, sadistic, psychopathic murderer! He deserves to die, and to die at my hands, but it is too late now. My father never deserved to die, and Scar, that traitor, never deserved to live…"

Nala, who had been listening to their conversation the whole time, looked up worriedly, digging her claws into the bark with anxiety. Rafiki simply stood there, a calm but sad countenance across his face.

"Simba, revenge is never the answer. It tears apart the best of us, turns the bad into evil, and will never give you satisfaction. I realize your father is dead, but now he is up there, in the sky, watching over you always. He is there for you still, and he would not want you looking for trouble for his sake. There is no need for vengeance over what is in the past, as all is well between him and between you. Remember what I taught you: the past can hurt, but you can choose to run from it, or to learn from it. That is why you must not go looking for this needless violence."

"But he isn't! My father isn't there anymore!" he growled in a rage. "He doesn't talk to me, or help me. He probably isn't even up there!"

"Simba, you need to trust, in here…" he said, vaguely pointing towards Simba's chest.

"_No_, Rafiki. You know, that's easy for you to say! You never had someone ripped out of your life like they were a part of you, and no matter how much you try to stop the bleeding and pain the hurt never goes away! You've never had to deal with that! You just sit here like a lonely hermit in this tree all the time, blathering out all this nonsense! What does it even mean?" Simba was speaking in a quick rage, before he finally appeared to calm down.

"You know what? I don't even know why I came here. Just all of you… leave me alone. You don't understand me, or what I've been through."

Simba finally left, leaping out of the tree and running across the plain towards Pride Rock without another word. He was still angry about his father's death and felt as though his father wasn't really there at all, and that Rafiki must have been wrong. What was he talking about? He was an old baboon; he couldn't always know what he was talking about, could he? He wasn't really sure anymore.

There was a long pause. Rafiki was shocked at Simba's words and his disbelief in his father, though by the way he looked down onto the ground, he appeared hurt. Simba hadn't actually known much, if anything, about the old baboon, and Nala had absolutely no idea who his family was, or if he had even had one. Seeing a faint tear roll down the side of his face, she walked over to him and let him put a long arm around her shoulder.

After seeing Simba go off like that and realizing that the whole visit with Rafiki was essentially pointless, Nala watched Simba run off into the distance, his figure illuminated by the now brightened moon before disappearing into the evening. She sighed and, suddenly depressed, tried to cheer herself up by looking at some more of the figures painted around the tree. Rafiki noticed her interest and calmed down, before walking up to her. He was going to say something, but she decided to voice her concern first before they changed the topic of conversation.

"I am worried about Simba," she said simply.

"So am I," the baboon continued. "There is something in his heart that I've never seen in him before. Something dark and shadowy. I fear for him and for the future of this pride," he stated gravely.

She nodded and stared towards the ground. Satisfied with his answer and now wanting to change the subject from Simba, Nala asked Rafiki a question.

"Why are some of these paintings smeared?"

"The paintings? Oh. Well, the ones that are smeared have passed to a better place."

Realizing that those paintings were of dead lions, Nala asked curiously, "Why is Simba smeared? He isn't dead…" she pointed out the obvious.

"I thought he too had died the day Mufasa had. That is why they are both smeared. I can't exactly _un_-smear them."

Narrowing her eyes at the figure next to Mufasa's blurry image, she continued suspiciously, "Why isn't Scar blurry too? Zazu told us he died yesterday, before he disappeared."

Rafiki looked down at the ground, then back at Nala before replying.

"Yes, yes. I thought he had died too, but I asked Mufasa first, and he told me that his brother is not yet with him."

"You mean he's not dead? Well, why didn't you tell us?"

"I am telling you now, aren't I?"

"But what about Simba?" she continued firing her rapid questions at Rafiki, who looked at Nala steadily. There was a long pause.

"Well, then again…" Nala continued, "Maybe it is better if Simba doesn't know for now. The lionesses and I can tell him later. I don't know what he would do..." There was another long pause. Finally, after a deep sigh, she continued, "You are right… this looks bad, doesn't it? And there hasn't been any rain either… Why do you think that is?"

Turning back to his painting on a different branch than the one she had been looking at, Rafiki shook his head sadly and looked out at the barren land below him.

"I don't know… I just don't know."

Looking over his shoulder, Nala could see that he was working not on the family tree, but on one of many depictions scattered around the tree about events in the pride's history. This one was of a dry, barren, sun-drenched landscape, with Simba on the left, along with a small group of light colored lionesses. A bird, probably Zazu, was flying into the distance, and below him, on the opposite side of the painting from Simba, was a group of shady looking lions facing him. It looked evil, even foreboding in a way, and something about it worried Nala, as though it was of an event that hadn't happened yet. Reaching down towards a large shell, Rafiki dipped his fingers into a fine black powder contained inside it, and prepared to add the finishing touch to his painting. Putting his hand up to the lion opposite Simba, he scribbled a mane around its face with the black paint. It was Scar… and it was a battle scene.

* * *

><p><em>Oooh, scary right? Haha, tomorrow is Chapter 9 and it looks like this fic is going to top 20,000 words, so thanks for reading. (Hoping to get it to 100,000, but I'll have to see about that. Hopefully school doesn't kill me after I get back. X()<em>

_Also, if you like this but haven't read my two other fics yet, then don't forget to drop by and read them. :) Ignominious still hasn't got a review. *hinthint* xD_


	9. Incitation

_A/N: _

_Well, decided to change things up just a bit. This chapter is the first from Zira's POV. Yay! Okay, well, hope it doesn't bore anyone or anything. So nice to have people reading this still! :) Anyways, enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Incitation<p>

"Grrrrrrrahhhhh!"

Zira growled as her back legs pushed off of a rock in a pounce, and in a second, she was in hot pursuit after a zebra. It was the first live zebra she had seen in weeks, all the others she had eaten in the meantime being carcasses that she had had to clear of vultures and scavengers. It was clearly lost and probably sick, as there was no grass for it to eat and there were no signs of any other zebras around.

Zira ran as fast as she could, and she began to pant for breath as she sprinted towards her prey. The zebra pricked up its ears, alarmed, and began to make a run for it. The lionesses' quarry was fast, but not quite fast enough. Zira's strong legs exerted themselves against the hard, flat ground, and she flew through the air like she had been shot out of a catapult. In seconds, she was practically upon the zebra. Her heart pounded with excitement. Just a little closer and she could pounce onto it and kill it with her bare paws.

The zebra stumbled. It wasn't much: in fact, it was little more than a strange scrape of a hoof across the ground. But it was all she needed. Zira leapt at her prey, getting closer and closer to it as it desperately ran. Finally, the zebra looked up at her with terror-widened eyes. She held out her paws towards the zebra's throat, which were inlaid with ten claws as sharp and long as daggers. She could smell it, the scent of zebra wafting by her nose and making her mouth water.

Smack!

A pebble hit Zira on the nose, then bounced off and landed in her eye. It barely hurt her, but she still tossed her head to the side and closed her eyes tightly, trying to get rid of the sting while being momentarily distracted. Still flying towards the zebra, but unable to see it, she slammed right into its body, whereupon the zebra bucked and kicked her off with sharp hooves before running towards the horizon, leaving only a cloud of irritating dust behind it.

Zira, blinking quickly and hurting from where the zebra had kicked her, rose to her feet dazedly and watched her prey run speedily off into the distance. She was too tired, too confused, and too hurt to give chase after it. Besides, it had gone far ahead of her and was already disappearing into the horizon. Wonderful…

"Woohooooo! Good one, Max! Hit her right in the eye!"

Zira looked with narrowed eyes at the voice. An old meerkat, Max, was sitting on a mound of dirt silently, his old eyes focused somewhere in the distance. He was holding a pebble in his hand, and there were a few other pebbles scattered by his feet. Another meerkat was by his side, laughing and clearly taking pleasure at his friend's pointless destruction of Zira's hunt. They had had absolutely no reason to do what they had done, apart from the fact that it amused them. Apparently their not-so-innocent fun had not been a very good idea, as Zira charged at the pair as quick as her tired and injured body would let her, growling and snarling during every moment of it. The meerkats, startled, ran towards their homes, which were not far away, and retreated deep into a burrow. Reaching a paw down towards them anyways, Zira was disappointed and angered by the fact that her legs weren't quite long enough, and she would have to walk away empty-handed, as the rest of the meerkats in the colony had also noticed her and retreated underground. She had failed to catch any prey today, though she had come so close to doing so. Her efforts had been in vain, and, angrier than ever, she trudged back towards the rest of the lionesses in the part of the Outlands near the elephant graveyard.

She was a bad huntress. She couldn't even catch a _meerkat_, and had had her shoulder hurt by a zebra, of all things. How humiliating. Nothing ever went right for her, did it? Especially not between her and Scar… ugh. She loved him and was her mate. She thought he understood that, but obviously not… Part of her wanted to talk to him about it, but another part of her wanted to her to simply retreat off somewhere by herself.

Reaching the crest of a small hill, she could see the pond and the group of about ten lionesses, basking in the heat of the setting sun. She glowered at their apparent laziness and drew nearer to them. A friendly-looking lioness quickly noticed her and padded up to her.

"Hey, Zira! Catch anything?"

"What's it look like?" she snapped back angrily. "Leave me alone!"

The lioness frowned but, not wanting to antagonize Zira during one of her angrier moods, withdrew silently. Zira ignored her and continued towards the pond, thirsty after the physical exertion and the long day she had experienced. She had been drinking maybe a few seconds, when another voice interrupted the pleasurable silence. Though she wanted to hit the next person that tried to bother her in the face with a clawed paw, she held back. It was a smooth, eloquent sounding voice, and its low tones were clearly not those of a lioness. Glancing over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, she saw Scar. She bore her teeth and growled at him.

"Leave me alone, Scar." Her red eyes flashed with ferocity, warning him to back off or else.

Scar sighed and turned his head, holding it up high while looking down on her and speaking in a seemingly indifferent tone of voice.

"Now now, Zira," he chastised lightly, "why the hostility? Hmmm?"

She drew closer to him with a snort and continued quickly.

"Puh. You know what this is about, Scar. Don't play all innocent with me. I'm not as dumb as you think I am!"

"Zira, Zira…" he continued desperately. "Whatever do you mean?"

Finally she changed the subject and angrily let it all out. She was mad. Mad at Scar, mad about the meerkats, mad about the zebra…

"What do you think? You don't think I saw you, kissing that other lioness? Well I was there and I saw _everything_! I tried to leave, I assumed it was your business, but you know what? I'm not going to get over this. I won't stand for this."

Scar narrowed his eyes at his mate, now beginning to get angry as well.

"Well then, who's accusing who now? You obviously are mistaken Zira. I did nothing. She kissed me, if anything. You're losing your right senses, Zira. You should relax."

Scar was telling the truth, but Zira, possessive during the best of times and extremely ticked off at the moment, turned away from him and began to pace along the water's edge in a fury. If it was anyone _but_ Scar, she wouldn't have even put up with him. But, deep inside, she adored him entirely. He was everything to her. But she was still furious.

"You're a talented liar, Scar," she chuckled. "Always have been. But I will not stand for you replacing me with that…" she paused and he could tell she was seething, "…that _whore_. If I had half a mind, I would rip her apart."

"You will not touch her, Zira." He knew she would obey his every command. Or at least he thought. Turning back to him, she snapped.

"NO! You think you can control me, and then dump me for someone else? Then fine, you'll get what you want, but not with me. We're done, Scar. I won't stand around and be your slave if you don't even want me around, and clearly you don't."

She began to slink away irately, trying to ignore everything.

Don't turn back; don't turn around, just leave. Don't turn back, don't hurt him… Relax, Zira, relax.

Scar was worried now. Zira had always been there for him ever since they were cubs. As long as he could remember, she was right there by his side, but he hadn't even noticed. It was one of those things he never paid attention to. Unless he was under the threat of losing it, which he apparently was. He got weakly to his feet, shaking slightly from the effort. He hadn't stood up all day, as he was still in pain from being injured.

"Zira, wait! Don't be rash, darling."

"We are _through_!" Without thinking, she leapt back at him. Catching him completely by surprise, it was all too easy to slash at his face…

Her claws had reached near his right eye, and as she had hit him much harder than she intended to with her strong paw, it had left a deep cut there. It looked very similar to the cut on his left eye, and he growled loudly in pain. His body quickly fell to the ground with a thud, and after several moments he finally looked up at her, his right eye squeezed shut as blood dripped down from his forehead and covered that half of his face in red, wet blood. He panted and she could tell he was afraid as he looked up at her. He tried to back away from her, as she quickly put her paw to the ground. It was also covered in his blood.

Partially from guilt, and partially from anger, Zira turned away and retreated over the hill. She had hoped that no one had seen her, as she didn't know what the others would do if they found out. She had to get away. Far, far away. She couldn't face Scar after that. Not after what she did. He would hate her for it, she was sure. She had lost her mate, the only one she had loved and one of the few who had ever cared for her in the slightest. He was her world, and she felt as though he was being ripped away from her by that other lioness. Now, surely, they would be mates, and there would no longer be any place for her in Scar's heart.

But at the same time, she was angry. How could he do this to her? She had done everything he had ever asked. Why wasn't he happy with that? Why did he have to go after other lionesses? She seethed with anger as she continued to run, her legs pounding against the ground and her heart pounding in a steady beat.

By this time, she had ran as fast as her legs could carry her up over the hill and far across the flat plain that bordered it. Finally, she stopped, but didn't look back. She rarely felt emotion of any kind, but now she did, and it was overpowering. Anger and remorse mixed together into a confused and dazed emotion which filled her being. A single tear fell from her eye, and it hit the dirt in front of her with a slight drip. She took a deep breath, and pressed on slowly until the hill was out of sight and she was far away over the horizon. It was dark now, and she felt completely alone. She continued a little ways more before her leg started to hurt. She stopped and began to pant for breath. There was a bit of brush and a cave nearby, and she decided that she would stop there for the night.

Snap.

Zira immediately stiffened and stood up. She growled threateningly, as she was quite sure she had heard a twig snap. Who on earth could have followed her?

"Get away!"

She stood there for a moment. Everything was silent. She was a good fighter, and could probably be able to kill whatever it was that had followed her, but she still felt afraid. It was almost as if she was being hunted, like the zebra which she had failed to kill earlier. She crouched low to the ground, ready to leap at anyone who showed their face. After several minutes of silence, she slowly let her guard down and eventually turned away. Her leg was hurting and she wanted to get to a warm cave or bush she could lay down in. There was another moment of silence before she felt a growl and a sharp pain in her side. She was slightly surprised, and turned around to find a hyena, of all things, attacking her.

A hyena, this far out of the elephant graveyard? That was certainly odd. But, then again, the hyenas were ruthless, and may have noticed the lioness leaving the rest of the group completely alone. Besides, she had killed Shenzi, and that had made them angry.

She scoffed slightly to herself. A single hyena attacking her? What a joke. Were the hyenas really so dumb as to attack _Zira_, the strongest lioness, with only one of them? Ha, she would show them not to mess with her. She swatted at the hyena, and after several quick attacks on her part the attacker was lying dead at her feet. She laughed arrogantly and ruthlessly, tilting her head up to the sky. That would teach them. But she was suddenly snapped out of her victory by another attack. This time, there was not one lone hyena; there were ten. Ten hyenas, so far from their usual graveyard home. That was definitely not normal. There must have been _something_ behind this. Zira fought hard, but was quickly brought down, seeing as she was injured and outnumbered by the hyenas. This time, it was their turn to laugh, and they did, in a loud chorus of the hyena's usual manic laughter. It was the last thing she heard before everything she passed out and everything went black.

* * *

><p><em>Working on the next chapter, and I'm probably going to have Mheetu, Nala's brother, mentioned in this, but I'll see how that works out. More on Zazu next chapter, and some surprises plus a new OC. Anyways, also added Chapter 1 to Ignominious, and it doesn't have any reviews yet, so if you haven't seen it yet then you should check it out! :) Planning some more fics in the future, including a crossover and another AU fic, so stay tuned!<em>

_-Twin out_


	10. Broken Hearts

_A/N: _

_Well, sorry for updating so late. Had stuff to do today so yeah... just now got to writing this chapter. xD Right now I'm watching... The Lion King. *surprise... not really* I feel like such a fangirl, especially at all the scenes with Scar in them. *way too obsessed with him* xD _

_Anyways, I'm kind of happy right now because this chapter puts the whole story at over 20,000 words (not including Author's Notes). Yay! :)_

_ArizonaSivy: I don't think Scar is going to be good in this fic, since he's kind of too evil in this. That would be another fic under a different set of circumstances. Simba does kind of go funky but maybe he will learn better? I guess you'll have to keep reading. ;) _

_Reldor: You'll find out in the next few chapters! :)_

_readsmanyfavsfew: Thanks for your review! :)_

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Broken Hearts<p>

Finally, he was there.

Zazu alighted at a high tree branch and looked down. Long, golden grass, taller than any he had ever seen, rose up from the land below him. Big, dark clouds hinted that the area was often rainy, and he could see water not far away. This was the Savannah, the mysterious place that had long concealed so many enigmas. And he was there, finally, after a day of flying. He looked back, and was not able to spot the Pridelands or the elephant graveyard. He was far, far beyond that, and it would no doubt take a long time for any lions to cross that distance. But this place did appear suitable as a home. He decided to fly around and explore a bit.

Flying out of the tree, he started towards the water. It took him a few minutes to arrive, and he could see that it was in fact a very large river, which fell into a waterfall a little ways downstream. Many types of animals, some of which he had never seen before, were gathered at the water's edge and were drinking quietly. A herd of elephants was even crossing the waterfall resolutely. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen an elephant in the Pridelands…

In any case, it appeared to be a suitable home for the pride, as long as there weren't any other lions, of course… If there were, he doubted they would be happy if the Pridelanders intruded there, and they would probably be hostile towards them. Other lions were not to be trusted. Many rogues had come from surrounding areas before, and it usually didn't end very well between them. No, it didn't go well at all. The last time a rogue had come into the Pridelands, he had ended up being Nala's father before leaving without second thoughts. He had not stayed to look after his new cub. In fact, he had come shortly after the birth of Nala's older brother, leaving Sarafina once again alone, but this time with two young cubs. Those were bad times for the pride. He landed in a tree, now suddenly deep in thought…

* * *

><p>"Mufasa? Mufasa, I need to talk to you. Now."<p>

A creamy colored lioness with pleading blue eyes walked up to another lion in the shade of a large tree. The setting sun had burned and scorched them, but now created pleasing shadows in the eve of the night. A single bird sat in the tree, tired after a long day, with his long, orange beak tucked under his wing and barely awake. Barely awake, that is, until he began to watch the procession before him.

"What is it? Let's get this over with."

She sat down by the lion and, unsure of what to do, nuzzled his long, red mane. The other lion did nothing, but looked down on her eyes that were disdainful. There was no hint of love in this lion's eyes.

"Mufasa…" she called out mournfully. "I feel bad… about Taka. I love you, but… I don't think what you did was right."

"Why, Sarafina? He's just my brother. He can handle it."

"I know, but… the way his father hit him… something isn't right, Mufasa. Something is wrong."

The lion scoffed and looked away. She again nuzzled his mane, desperately seeking his attention, but there was no passion in his eyes, only indifference. Finally he turned back on her angrily.

"Fine then, if you feel so bad about it, then you can leave me. There are other lionesses. If you want to go after my brother, that's fine, but really? He will never amount to anything. He'll never be king like I will. I can go see Sarabi, and I'm sure she would love to be future queen and accept me for who I am, unlike you. Maybe _we _will even be mates."

The lioness got up. Her belly, which now appeared to be somewhat swollen, swayed somewhat from side to side.

"Just like that? You'll just dump me like I'm… like I'm… trash?"

"You aren't trash, at least not yet… but my brother is. There's a reason my father named him 'Taka', after all. If you want to associate with someone who is no more than dirt, then you are no better. Now leave me be, Sarafina."

The lioness walked towards him with a firm step. She bore her teeth and snarled. Mufasa did nothing, but looked down at her in an arrogant way.

"So now what? You just want me to leave? I'm pregnant with your cubs! What will happen if my mother finds out I'm pregnant with your cubs, when you rejected me as my mate? Was that all you wanted from me, a false sense of pleasure, just to dump me away and leave me to fend for myself? I can't believe you!"

There was a long pause, and slowly the lionesses' eyes changed from desperate to hateful.

"You know what… you obviously don't care for anyone, except yourself. I hope you are happy when you get the throne, but Taka would have made a better king than you ever would be. And now he will never take me back, because you stole him from me. Have a nice life, and I hope things work out between you and Sarabi."

At that she ran off, and Mufasa stayed in place, feeling no remorse for breaking this young lionesses' heart. The bird, somewhat curious, followed distantly, trying to remain silent and inconspicuous.

"I'm all alone. No one will love me anymore. Not Taka, not Mufasa… no one will ever love a lioness who had cubs with someone other than her mate. Now everyone will think I'm… I'm…"

She collapsed into the dirt, sobbing loudly. Her tears flowed freely, and she cried in the dirt. She felt lonely, and hurt, and sad… She wanted to be with Taka again, but it was too late. He had made it clear he had never wanted her after she had gone off with Mufasa. It was the worst mistake of her life. She and Mufasa had mated and then… it wasn't the same. She saw who Mufasa really was. An arrogant jerk. He'd never wanted her.

Her cries and sobs continued in a normal way, and so the bird just sat quietly in a nearby tree. She sniffed and sobbed and then… she screamed. It was a sharp and acute cry of pain, like someone had stabbed her. Quite shocked, he flew over to the struggling lioness.

"Zazu! Zazu! Oh, thank goodness you're here! It's…"

Her sentence was again interrupted by another cry of pain. He jumped slightly in shock, and after a few desperate pants she continued.

"_Zazu_! Get Rafiki, it's the cub!"

The bird flew off. Oh dear, what was happening? The pride would finally find out who the father was and… oh dear, what would Ahadi do? And in the meantime, what was going to happen to Sarafina? Or the cub? Would they both live?

While he flew off to get Rafiki, Sarafina remained alone, struggling with her cub. With Mufasa's cub. She deeply regretted mating with him, but perhaps she could get something good out of it. She had always wanted a cub of her own. Zazu caught one last glimpse of her as he disappeared towards the old baobab tree. It was a long few minutes, but he made it, all worked up in a sweat and worried.

"Rafiki, Rafiki! Sarafina is having a cub!"

The baboon looked up at him with confused eyes.

"Sarafina? Cub?" He sputtered out quickly, trying to contemplate what Zazu had just said.

"But… when was Sarafina pregnant…? No matter, I'll deliver the cubs and then we can worry about such matters."

Grabbing his staff, Zazu led the way towards where Sarafina was, and the baboon ran as quickly as he could to catch up with him. It took several minutes, but they finally arrived, and were horrified.

It looked almost like a murder scene. Sarafina was lying stretched out across the ground, and her blood covered the grass and dirt around her with a wet, gleaming stickiness. Her claws had dug into the dirt, leaving long narrow scratch marks across the ground. The only way they knew that she was alive was the fact that she was still crying in pain.

"Shh…" the baboon whispered soothingly. "Just relax… relax… can you relax for me?"

Sarafina looked like he had asked her to do something completely and utterly impossible, and she looked up at him with pleading eyes. She tried to slow her breathing, and nodded at him weakly.

"Okay… now… push. Come on, you can do it."

Absentmindedly, she grabbed Zazu with a free paw, unintentionally squeezing the life out of him as she heaved. Zazu choked and tried to struggle slightly, but it was no use. After what seemed like hours of being stuck in the lionesses' grasp, she finally let go of him, and gave one last cry of pain.

A cub appeared at her feet, wet and covered in blood. It mewed weakly, and as Sarafina gradually recovered her senses, she leaned down towards the cub and licked it clean. She could see that it had her creamy fur… in fact, it was nearly white, and it also had… Mufasa's eyes.

"Sarafina…" Zazu spoke up for the first time, asking the question that was on everyone's minds, "who is the father?"

"Uh, the father… um, he's uh… what? Can you repeat the question?"

He smirked, seeing Sarafina's avoidance of the question. Well, if they weren't going to find out who it was from her, they'd have to find out some other way.

"Well, I'll go get Ahadi. You stay right here now."

In a few minutes Ahadi, Taka, and Mufasa were gathered by her, as well as Sarafina's mother, who was not too happy.

"Well, which one of you two did this?" Ahadi asked, glaring at Taka. Mufasa appeared apprehensive and quickly tried to shift the blame away from him.

"It wasn't me father. I can assure you of that. It must have been Taka."

"_Scar_. My name isn't Taka anymore." Mufasa's brother looked down on him disdainfully. "And why are you blaming me for this? Just look at this cub. It is about as different as me as can be possible, you liar. It has your eyes!"

Ahadi growled at his younger son, and would have leapt at him if it weren't for Rafiki and Zazu being present. Sarafina finally spoke up, her eyes staring angrily at Mufasa. She couldn't take Taka being persecuted in such a way. She didn't care if she ruined Mufasa's reputation or chance at being king due to what he had done; in fact, she would have preferred it that way.

"It was him. Mufasa. Don't blame Taka; he did nothing."

She had more or less admitted to mating with him, and with having his cub. But if she was going to admit to this, she would at least bring Mufasa down with her. Sarafina's mother looked horrified, though Ahadi looked only mildly upset. He looked down at his son, but said not a word. Finally he glanced down at Taka.

"Mufasa may not have told the truth, but how _dare _you call him a liar? You vile piece of trash, you're really going to get it today."

Taka's eyes narrowed rebelliously.

"No, I won't, _Ahadi_, because I am leaving. Don't think I won't come back, because I will, but it will only be to exact justice on you and Mufasa. Don't think you all won't get what is coming, because I will somehow make sure of it."

With that, he bolted off before anyone could protest or go after him. Ahadi roared loudly, but did not stir. He was rather glad that Taka had left. Zazu followed the teenage lion's slim figure with his eyes, but quickly looked back at Sarafina.

"Well, what are you going to name the cub?"

Sarafina glanced down at the little form that she now held in her paws.

"Hmmm…" she started thoughtfully, "how about Mheetu?"

"Mheetu?" Zazu asked, puzzled at Sarafina's choice of name.

Rafiki only shrugged before adding, "I like it. Yes, yes. I like it."

He waved his staff over Mheetu gently, giving the little cub his blessing, and they all smiled peaceably. None of them, not even Rafiki, knew just how short the cub had to live.

* * *

><p>Zazu thought back on all of this, depressed. Lonely, sad, and without a mate, Sarafina had not been with Mheetu for long when the rogue had come. They had become attached and were going to be mates but, like Mufasa, he had left her as well after getting her pregnant. His face was never again seen in the Pridelands, Nala being the only proof he had ever even existed. Sarafina was deeply heartbroken by this time, but she had loved her two cubs dearly. Mheetu had not been a bad cub. He was obedient, handsome, and kind; Zazu didn't believe that he had deserved the death that had come to him. But he didn't want to think about that right now. He had come back to reality and realized that he had to search for a rogue lion pride like he had been going to do. If there were any, they would probably have to stay in the Pridelands even longer. But, then again, he had left without permission to find this place and doubted Simba would jump on board with his idea and send the whole pride there, even if it was free of lions. They weren't used to anywhere beyond the Pridelands. He had essentially no chance, but it was worth a shot.<p>

Taking off from his vantage point on the tree, he flew around distractedly, still not quite focused on the task at hand. All he could think about was Mheetu, and Sarafina, and the other lions. Yes, he would be back to them soon, he supposed. He wondered if his absence had any effect on Simba. Probably not, he decided. Simba wouldn't miss him at all.

"Oof!"

Zazu jolted back in surprise, barely able to keep from falling to the ground. He had run into something soft and feathery and looked up to see… another hornbill?

"Ouch… sorry," the other hornbill started. Zazu could now see that she was a female. "I didn't see you there… say… you aren't from around here, are you?"

"No," Zazu said, still hovering in place while talking to this strange bird. "I'm from a place called Pride Rock," he finished.

"Pride Rock? Oh, I've been there. What's your name?"

"My name is Zazu."

"Oh," she said, nodding her head approvingly. "I'm Zuri. Nice to meet you, Zazu. Heehee, Zazu and Zuri. Our names are very similar."

"Yes," Zazu continued with a smile, "we have a lot in common, don't we?"

* * *

><p><em>Well, Zuri is the new OC I was talking about last chapter. I didn't have much room for her this chapter, so it looks like most of her part in the story will get pushed back to Chapter 12 or maybe even 14. : In case you were wondering about Mheetu, he isn't an OC exactly. Mheetu was supposed to be Nala's younger brother in the actual Lion King movie, and was named because of him tagging along with Nala ("me too!"="Mheetu"). However, he was deleted sometime before the final version of the film was released. Despite the fact that he was merely deleted, the TLK fan community wanted to come up with an explanation (which apparently they like to do, seeing all the Kopa stories around xD) and said that Mheetu was Scar and Sarafina's son, but after they broke up and Sarafina had Nala (NOT with Scar, since she would have mated with her cousin Simba... xD) but with what is assumed to be a random rogue, Scar got jealous and killed Mheetu for revenge. I adapted this commonly accepted, though not canon, explanation to fit with my own story. I made him Mufasa's son and Nala's older brother instead. Anyways, hope that makes sense after I wrote pretty much an essay about it. xD_

_More fics may be coming soon, and don't forget to check out Ignominious if you haven't already. Chapter 2 will be up soon! :)_

_-Twin out_


	11. Secrets and Lies

_A/N:_

_Sorry I haven't updated lately. Went to the movies today. Tried to work on Chapter 2 of Ignominious last night but that didn't really work, since I didn't know exactly where to go with it. However, I know the general direction I want this story to go in so I shouldn't have much trouble writing it. Stuff really heats up now, which makes it exciting to write and, hopefully, exciting to read. :) More about Zira in this chapter! Oh, and Reldor, I know just what you mean. *hands a very large shovel* Ahadi and Mufasa are all yours. Smack them upside the head for me. xD_

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Secrets and Lies<p>

The Outlands were quiet, even at the pond. However, not everything was peaceful; rather, it was a worry-filled silence that had come over Scar's pride. Strange things had been happening, and it had all happened so fast. It was as if one day Scar was the ruler of Pride Rock, and the next day they'd been kicked out. Sometimes they wondered what they were even fighting for. It wasn't for the barren Pridelands anymore. It was for revenge on Mufasa, Simba, the hyenas… pretty much everyone who had ever done Scar any wrong. Zira had been their strongest lioness, and the one who had helped lead them and rally them together. She was their strongest hope, and yet she had disappeared. No one had found her, though the cause for her flight was assumed to be the fact that she had slashed Scar's eye. They did not know why she had done so, nor did they know anything about the other lioness. Scar didn't plan on telling them, either.

Scar had mixed and confused notions about everything. He didn't have much of a reason to feel bad for Zira's absence, as she had slashed his eye over something that wasn't even his fault and then left him. However, despite all this, he still missed her and felt somewhat depressed. She had saved his life and had always been there for him. His normally pallid and emotionless life was now being tipped over, and he was feeling confused overall. The other lionesses had tried to help his eye, but it was becoming quite clear that he would end up with a permanent mark; yet another scar to remind him of his never-ending persecution.

He had been left back near the pond, and had remained there, silent and idle, for hours. He looked down at his reflection every once in a while, hoping that his eye would not leave another scar, but it was to no avail. It was becoming more and more clear that he would end up with one whether he liked it or not.

A rock sat near the pond which he hadn't noticed; large, flat, and perfect for sunning, a lioness slumped lazily across it as the sun set on the horizon and bathed it in pleasing light and warmth. She purred softly, basking in the warm rays while her dark fur shone in the sun. Flicking her tail and turning her head around, she focused two pale, narrow eyes on the lion that was lying stolidly by the pond.

Finally noticing eyes on him, Scar half-heartedly gazed back at the lioness, who was now slowly stretching and beginning to saunter off of the rock. Walking towards him slowly and then settling down by his side, he could see that it was Mahiri. As much as it was her fault for everything that happened, he didn't feel angry at her. After all, how could she have known that Zira would slash his face and run off? She may have just kissed him because… well, he didn't know exactly, though no one really knew the reason for Zira's angry outbursts and he assumed that Mahiri had had little to do with it in any case. She looked at him with a concerned expression, detecting his emotional distress.

"Scar, what troubles you?"

Scar looked down at the ground and distractedly traced a claw through the dirt. He didn't even seem to hear her question, but after several moments he glanced up at her with a hopeless expression on his face.

"It's Zira."

Mahiri got a bit closer to him and nuzzled him slightly, but Scar didn't seem to notice. He was too dazed and confused to mind it at all.

"So, what is it about Zira that bothers you, hmmm?"

"Well, she's gone," he started out curtly, "I hope she comes back soon. I thought she loved me, but now… she's left me."

Mahiri looked as though he had just said something absolutely pathetic. Fixing him with a pitiful, if not patronizing, glance, she continued. Scar didn't notice this, either.

"Oh now think about this, dear. If she _really_ loved you, she wouldn't have hurt you. She was just playing you. She never loved you, Scar. And I really doubt she is ever coming back."

Scar looked back down at his reflection, again seeing the long gash that Zira had left on his right eye, and how it was an almost perfect mirror image of the one on his left that Ahadi had given him. He thought of all those he thought had hurt him before… Ahadi, Mufasa, Sarafina, and now Zira… none of them loved him. Mahiri was right. Zira never loved him either.

Seeing his newfound doubt in his ex-mate, she pressed on.

"Look, if Zira moved on, then you should too. Don't let her hold you back. If she doesn't love you, there's no reason for you to love her back."

Scar lifted his head up from the pond and stared into the horizon, the distractedness and lonely sadness leaving his eyes bit by bit while uncertainty and confusion replaced them. She did have a point, he supposed. Looking at Mahiri for the first time, he spoke up again.

"You're right, I… t-think," he said suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed and his current confused demeanor clearly showing itself on his face. He was still unsure about what she was telling him, mostly because he remembered Zira saving his life in that cave from the hyenas. If she didn't love him, why did she save him? He still clung to this question, hoping that she hadn't really abandoned him.

Mahiri smirked at him and chuckled flatly. Doing the same thing that Scar had done to Zira so many times, Mahiri set a paw under his chin, pointing his head upwards until he was forced to look her in the eye.

"Scar, dear, I'm _always _right," she confirmed, smiling seductively. She looked so much like Zira...

Without knowing what he was doing, he found himself nuzzling this lioness sitting next to him. He still missed Zira, though not quite as much. Mahiri had a point. Besides, they weren't mates anymore, so he wasn't really obligated to be loyal to Zira as far as mates went anyways. She had left him, so he could, and should, do the same to her. It was only what she deserved. Besides, he felt lonely.

Mahiri nuzzled him back, and this time when she kissed him, he returned it. Still unsure of what he was doing, he merely did whatever he felt like, passionately kissing the lioness. Somehow they had rolled over one another, and he found himself pinning her to the ground while she grinned excitedly.

"You naughty boy!" she chastised lightly, laughing pleasurably. Glancing down at her, he smirked and responded in a whisper.

"You want to know what I can really do, darling? I can show you…"

"Oh yes…" she moaned gratifyingly, and in moments the two lions were enjoying themselves in such a way that would have made Zira furious, had she been there to witness it.

* * *

><p>Zira, however, was not around. She had regained consciousness, though barely so, and could feel herself being dragged through the silent Outlands by the hyenas. She made not a move, hoping they didn't know she was awake, and attempted to eavesdrop on them to find out whatever she could about her current situation. She looked over her shoulder to find that there were three hyenas near her, all of who she recognized. One of them was Banzai, growling silently nearby, and in Shenzi's place as matriarch was her daughter, Chuki. Ed followed behind, dragging Zira by the hind leg. Several other hyenas she didn't recognize tagged along, though she could only really hear those three hyenas closest to her. They seemed silent for a long time, before she could finally see Ed laughing and salivating crazily. Banzai and Chuki looked over him, then back at Zira longingly. Finally Banzai spoke up.<p>

"You know, I don't get it. Why not just kill Zira? I'm hungry. Besides, she's one of Scar's major followers."

Chuki glared daggers at Zira, feeling the same way, but waited a moment before speaking.

"Well, it's what we were told to do. You know, that lion probably knows what they're doing. Besides, after what we were promised…"

Banzai again grumbled angrily.

"Oh come on. Why do we keep helping these lions like this? I hate them. This one's doing nearly the same thing that Scar did. Why on earth would you want to go through this again?"

"Banzai, I was told that we could get revenge on Scar, and after that, they made it quite clear we would be able to go freely. We could do what we wanted, and we wouldn't have to serve any lions. We would get help in executing our revenge, and then we could finally leave this _dump_ and forget both the Pridelands and the Outlands… _for good_! There are no false promises this time. There is no tyranny. We don't have to be loyal to anyone but ourselves after we kill him and this lioness Ed is dragging. This time is different."

Banzai was definitely skeptical. Questioning her again, he continued.

"But doesn't that seem strange? They would help us commit a crime against their own kind—a crime they would be severely punished for if they were found to be involved—and then would let us go no questions asked? _Something_ must be wanted of us. Besides, you are still young. You weren't around when we helped Scar take the throne. You don't know how these things work, or how they go wrong in the end… We can commit revenge on our own, and then leave. Besides, we already have Zira in our grasp."

Chuki snarled in response to Banzai's apparent boldness in questioning her motives. She was the leader here, not him.

"Patience, Banzai! Look, I'm the leader here, and I know what I'm doing. I'm both the smarter one and the stronger one of the two of us, so if you want to challenge me on this, you had better change your mind."

The two hyenas stopped and turned to face each other. Banzai remained silent, glaring at her but doing nothing. She snarled at him, but he did not back off. The hyenas quickly leapt at each other, each a furry and bristly ball of claws and teeth. They weren't intending to hurt each other, but rather it was a strange sort of contest to pin their opponents. After a quick wrestle, Chuki ended up on top of Banzai, pinning him to the ground. She blew her bangs out of her eyes, and Zira could see that she looked and acted very similarly to Shenzi. Banzai gave in and submitted to whatever Chuki had wanted them to do with Zira, and they finally continued walking, though Banzai still continued to say things that Zira couldn't hear.

Apparently they weren't going to kill her, though she had no idea why. Someone must have wanted her alive for one reason or another, but who? Who would employ the hyenas, seeing as they had nearly mauled their last king to death, were ineffective mercenaries, untrustworthy, and were only loyal so long as you had food in your muzzle? Banzai seemed to make more sense to Zira, seeing as whomever it was must have wanted something from them; otherwise they would have gotten someone else to do… whatever it was they wanted to get done. There were others besides the hyenas. However, she was glad that Chuki had let her live so that she could have a chance to figure this all out. As of now, it made little to no sense.

Finally, they dragged Zira into a large cave near the elephant graveyard. The whole hyena pack was there, and the cave was alive with sound. Laughs and yelps echoed off the tall rock walls as hyenas wrestled and chased each other. Zira could see several hyenas fighting for scraps of meat and bone off of a meager, vulture-picked carcass. Several pups were playing around the various crevices and overhangs in the cave, which was rocky and had a jagged floor. Stalactites hung down like long teeth off of the ceiling, some of them nearly touching the ground and creating more interesting nooks and crannies. The moonlight shone in faintly and illuminated the wet and bloody floor, with puddles that rippled from the occasional water drops that fell from the ceiling. Several hyenas slept peacefully on top of each other in a disorganized pile, snoring loudly.

Ed walked to the middle of the cave and dropped Zira, letting her body hit the ground with a loud thud. Chuki walked onto a nearby overhanging cliff and dramatically cleared her throat while waiting for the hyenas to calm down. Seeing that none of them had really noticed them, Banzai finally yelled out for the hyenas to be quiet and attentive to what their matriarch had to say.

"Hey," she started out, "we have… _the lioness!_"

The floor, where the hyenas had been gathered, was instantly alive with howls, growls, and menacing laughs. Zira was afraid that she would have been zealously attacked and killed right there, had she not been dragged up next to Chuki by Banzai. Still holding her by the hind leg, he dangled her over the edge of the cliff, and she could faintly see the mass of hyenas gathered below her as she swung slowly from side to side…

The crowd had been electrified at the sight of their victim, the lioness who had taken away their previous matriarch and had helped Scar. She was a major player in this battle and game of wits and revenge. They leaped up and down, cheering and growling simultaneously. They were both happy to have Zira in their grasp and angry at what she had done to them.

"Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!"

The hyenas began to chant, the bloodthirstiness present in their eyes. Eventually the chant had echoed throughout the cave and had become a deafening and bloodcurdling noise. Their manic laughter only highlighted the hyenas' crazed desire for a chaotic revenge. Having the crowd stirred up, Chuki continued.

"Patience! We will kill the lioness! But not yet; not here, not now! We have got to be smart, but if we do this right _revenge will be ours_! Now, who's with me?"

A howl was quickly emitted from the throat of every hyena present, and Zira was shocked by their sheer numbers and how tightly the pack had been joined by a common goal. It was a bad moment for any sort of lion to enter, but one had. The hyenas near the entrance had leapt at it, beginning to attack it, when a deafening call was heard from Chuki.

"_STOP_!"

Banzai dropped Zira next to Chuki, and the two of them ran towards the entrance of the cave, pulling several of the hyenas off of the intruder. Finally seeing the anger of their leaders, the hyenas were somehow able to slow and then completely stop their vicious attack. Pulling the lion to their feet, Chuki quietly reprimanded the pack, while Banzai looked over the lion.

"You've got to be more careful, Banzai. You won't have them attack me next time, hopefully."

A voice pointed out sharply from the front of the cave. Banzai appeared annoyed at both the pack and the lion, but nodded his head slightly towards the lion.

"It won't happen again."

The lion got to their feet and brushed themselves off. Zira could not see who it was, as there were many hyenas and the lighting was putting the figure into a shadowy and vague silhouette. Glancing at her, the voice continued on.

"So I see you've got Zira?"

"Yes," Banzai replied back, "we do, boss."

* * *

><p><em>Hmmm, so who could the hyenas be working for? Guess you'll find out in two chapters. Probably a NalaSimba chapter next, so don't forget to come back and read soon, and more reviews would make me super happy! :) Thanks for reading!_


	12. The Lion in the Moon

_A/N:_

_EDIT: Yes, I know it's February now and I still haven't updated. I was super busy that first week but the rest was just writer's block again... I won't abandon this story since I'm so far into it (and that's a bad habit of mine anyways :|) but please bear with me here. I'm working on a chapter and it should be uploaded soon. I might even write a few chapters ahead before I do that. I'd say that I'm about a third of the way done with this... Next story will be more thought out, I promise. :|_

_Grr, sorry I have been so behind in updating lately. I've got so many ideas for fics, but writer's block... ugh. e.e Whatever, I guess, it just happens. I feel like this chapter is STILL sub-par to what I've been writing lately, but I suppose it's better than nothing. :/ Haven't even touched Ignominious lately; I'm considering temporarily abandoning it until I can get over the writer's block that I have on that fic too. School starts again tomorrow and I'll be relatively busy, but I'll still try to fit some writing time tomorrow._

_Anyways, can't believe it's 2012 already! Happy New Year to all of my readers; you guys are awesome! :) This is only my second story and my first fanfiction piece ever, and if I finish it will be the first one I've finished. It's really an experiment for me, and it has gone much better than I thought it would, even though I'm only 1/4 of the way to my goal of 100,000 words (excluding author's notes) which means I have to write... 48 chapters total. Oh dear. Oh dear indeed. O.o *headdesk* Well, we will see if that is possible. Have a lot more ideas and things to add to this._

_Finally, I made some changes as far as AU-ness. You know how at the end of TLK Simba shows Scar mercy and tells him to run away? Well, not in this storyline. I changed it so the whole Simba-wants-revenge part of this story makes more sense... Also, part of the Madness of King Scar scene is in here, but changed. And Reldor, I know what you mean about Scar. I've always thought he was the most attractive lion, so it makes sense to me and my strange mind. xD_

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: The Lion in the Moon<p>

Scar.

The mere name of the dark lion sent shudders up every lioness' spine, but if there were any two individuals living who knew his power to destroy the lives of others, it would have to be Nala and Sarafina. Horrible memories of blood and pain always throbbed in the backs of their minds, and it had done to them irreversible damage. Sarafina was grieved over the Mheetu incident, but to Nala it was entirely different. She had experienced something worse than her mother ever would, at Scar's paws. And so, she decided, Simba would soon have to know the truth about Scar continuing to live. But not now. She wanted to tell Simba, as the memories of Scar had plagued her constantly since she found out of his survival, but she did not for the sake of her mate. That was the only reason that she held back.

Simba had been behaving oddly as before, especially upset over the incident at Rafiki's tree and over Zazu's prolonged and unexplained absence. He would sit in the cave day and night, rarely coming out for any reason, as he reflected over his life idly. Everything had been torn from him, it seemed. He was still bent on revenge, and nothing anyone could say would ever faze him. At least that was how it appeared to be, as no one tried to talk him out of it anymore. Perhaps a part of Simba was still his old, cocky, happy-go-lucky self, but wherever it was, it did not look like it was anywhere close to him then. He hadn't shown Scar any mercy when he had returned, which was strange considering his normally fair and kind nature. He didn't give him the option to flee or to run. Scar was too prideful to ever accept such an offer, especially from Simba, but even if he had wanted to, Simba wouldn't have cut him any slack. After Scar had confessed to killing his father, he had leapt at him and very nearly pinned him, before chasing him up the boulder while trying to kill him. The only time he had stopped attacking him was when he had knocked him off the cliff. Simba didn't want to die in the flames and after he had seen the hyenas he knew he was as good as dead. And yet, for all of his diligence and ferocity, his uncle had lived, and the hyenas had ended up coming back to finish the job, as they had failed the first time… like always. He should have been happy that Scar was dead, but he was not. Horrible nightmares of his father's death wore him down emotionally every night, and as he was not convinced of Rafiki's wisdom concerning him and his father, he was extremely distraught and worried. It was his fault for trusting Scar. He was not able to stop his father's death. He should have tried harder, and not gone into the jungle. He should have killed Scar right then and there, but of course he had been only a cub and had had no idea of his uncle's treachery. He was still, however, convinced that he was to blame for Mufasa's death and that the loss of his father was completely irreplaceable. Though he knew the truth of Scar throwing Mufasa off of the cliff, it changed the situation very little. The guilt still haunted him constantly.

As Simba was already worried about all this, Nala decided to save the truth about Scar's survival for another day. Besides, maybe the hyenas would kill him and finish it after all, and they wouldn't have to worry about it. She calmed herself with the acknowledgment of this possibility, though to be honest she hadn't seen the hyenas at all in a long time and had had no idea about their exact plans against Scar.

She thought about what she had seen in Rafiki's tree, and questions about it filled her mind up. Was there really going to be a battle, or was that just what _could_ happen? After all, Rafiki said the paintings told what may be, not what would definitely occur. But what would cause such a battle if it did happen? Also, why was Zazu there? Was he really disloyal after all? Was he helping Scar or something? There were too many questions, but not enough answers. She didn't know where Scar, Zazu, Zira, the Outlanders, or the hyenas were. They might have been hiding somewhere and waiting for revenge. She just didn't know. As much as she didn't like the idea of revenge, she didn't want Scar to come back at all. He had caused too much damage to the Pridelands and every inhabitant in them, and had destroyed everything that he had come into contact with, including her...

Oh no, she was remembering it again, with too much clarity and vividness for her liking. The darkness of the cave as the moonlight shone faintly outside. The slight damp and wet of the place, with water dripping every so often from the ceiling. Scar's beady eyes looking at her… hungrily. Nala began to sweat. She was next to her mate's side, but she still felt like she was in danger. It was as if it was happening all over again.

Yes, it was dark, horribly dark; darker than it should have been. All she could see in the cave was Scar, his eyes fixed on her, and then his paws grabbed her body. His claws dug in, and it took a moment for her to even feel the pain through her shock and fear. He had grabbed her near her chest, pulling her farther and farther back towards the shadowy depths of the cave… She tried to struggle; she tried to get away. She worked herself into a sweat, confused and trying to understand what had just happened. Scar spoke to her in a voice that sounded soft and seductive.

"Come, sweet Nala… It's written in the stars…"

No. She struggled some more, but he was on top of her now. His claws raked against her sides and something was wrong. Suddenly, a painful, burning sensation shot through her, and she felt as though searing warmth was spreading across her body as she moaned in pain. She felt herself weakening slightly as she stumbled onto the ground, with the lion on top of her. It had to end. What was happening to her?

"We'll create a host of… _little Scars_!"

She suddenly realized what was happening, and just what he wanted with her. She tried to escape, growling and scratching at his face, but he was still there, not moving. This couldn't be happening. She had to leave the Pridelands, and find help. She had to get away from Scar. And the only way she would be able to leave was to wait… while he did what he wanted with her.

"NO!"

Nala called out audibly in the middle of the cave she and Simba had been resting in. Her flashback was all too real, and it took several seconds for her to remember that it had only been a memory. She had had quite a few recollections of the brief incident with Scar, but was still scared by it each time. She was safe, with Simba, and yet she wasn't reassured. Scar was alive. He could do the same thing… again. She looked over at Simba, who had been staring idly at the wall until she had called out loudly. She had to tell him the truth about Scar being alive. She couldn't risk that ever happening again, even if Simba went completely insane.

"What is it, Nala?"

Nala stood there, still trying to catch her breath. Drops of sweat rolled off of her shoulders and she panted heavily, her sides heaving and her claws digging nervously into the ground. Her eyes glanced up at Simba, a helpless expression on her face.

"Nothing."

She had to tell him the truth, and yet the first thing that had come out of her mouth was a lie. She wasn't sure if she could go on with this. She didn't _have_ to tell him now, did she?

"No, I don't think so. Is something wrong?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and she could tell that he didn't believe her. She frowned slightly, not quite sure where to begin.

"Uh, you know when Zazu said Scar was dead, and then he… you know, ran off?"

Simba nodded solemnly. Taking his silence as a reply, she continued.

"Oh well, um, I guess Zazu was wrong. As far as Scar, anyways. What I mean to say is… Scar is alive. The hyenas haven't killed him yet."

Simba furrowed his brows and scraped the ground with his claws repetitively. He looked away for several seconds, distracted.

"So, the coward is alive, hmm? Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find him."

Nala took a step backwards from him, surprised at his temerity and eagerness to leave immediately despite how dangerous and unplanned it was. He was normally calmer, and less… spontaneous. Simba began to walk right by her and out of the cave. She was going to question him, when suddenly he turned around and looked at her.

"Wait, so why did you suddenly yell like that…? And why did you tell me that Scar was alive now? How long have you known about his survival?"

Wonderful. Of all the questions he could have asked, she was hoping he wouldn't ask _that_. Oh well, she could lie to him about her flashback. He didn't have to know. She wished she could forget, after all. She didn't want the whole pride knowing.

"Oh, I don't know. I only found out a few hours ago. Now seemed like a good time, I guess."

Simba nodded his head, but still looked confused.

"Well why did you…"

Nala glared at him harshly, somewhat irritated at how he kept asking her the same question. Seeing how his mate was annoyed, he decided to simply let it go.

"…never mind, I guess."

Simba continued on his way out of the cave, walking past her confidently. Where was he going? Was Simba really going to go to the Outlands—by himself?

"Uh, Simba… where are you going?"

Simba stopped in his tracks, and then turned around with a cocked eyebrow and a strange expression on his face, as if his intentions should have been obvious already. Understanding where he was going, Nala groaned slightly. Her mate seemed to be losing more of his common sense every passing day.

"Uh, Simba, you think that's a good idea? We don't even know where he is, and he has all those Outlanders with him. You can't just walk up there by yourself. Besides, it is late. We can look for him another day, and plan more… carefully."

Simba only growled, pacing around the cave a bit restlessly. He would look outside every few steps, wanting to go out there, but the little bit of sound judgment he had left, combined with Nala's pleas, finally wore him down.

"Fine. I won't go—yet. We will start looking for them tomorrow. Mark my words; I will find Scar and I will kill him myself. You can come along, but don't get in my way."

Nala nodded, and was relieved that he wasn't going on what was more or less a suicide mission on his own. She calmed down and nuzzled his mane lovingly. Simba returned the gesture, but emotionlessly and in his strange, half-distracted way. A certain glaze was in his eyes and he was looking off in no particular direction. It was almost as if he was dead. Nala frowned slightly, concerned about how her mate had been behaving. Perhaps there really was going to be a battle after all, which couldn't be good news. What would happen to the Pridelands, with Simba in such a condition and the land under such a drought?

Nala looked outside the cave and at the moon. Tomorrow they would look for Scar, and who knew what would happen after that started. The silvery orb gleamed softly, lighting the land below gently and giving hope to those like Nala, who looked upon it longingly. Someday this would all be over; the real question was whether or not they would live to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As long as they kept their hopes up, maybe things would be all right again, the way that they rightfully should be. A single star gleamed through the darkness of the clear night sky more than any of the others, and after making sure that Simba was settled in the back of the cave and couldn't hear her, she looked up at it with imploring eyes.

"Mufasa, please, if you're there… let everything be all right again. I don't know how much longer we can last. It would be so…" she sniffed slightly as she held back a tear, "nice… if you could still be with us. Could you at least give me some sort of sign to let me know you're listening? Even a blow of the wind?"

She waited alone at the front of the cave, waiting for something to happen, but the night was as still as it had been for days, and not a hint of wind or rain disturbed the peaceful air. She sighed, looking down at the ground. A single tear finally fought its way out of her eye, and after it followed others, before she finally found herself sobbing in the front of the cave. Looking back up at the sky one last time, she hopelessly finished her entreaties.

"And Mufasa… if your son is up there—my brother—could you tell him I said hello? I miss him… every day."

Turning her back towards the sky and heading into the cave, Nala lied down sadly on the floor of the cave. Silently, she began to drift off to sleep. On the edges of consciousness, she was nearly trapped in a peaceful doze when she thought that maybe… just _maybe_… she felt a rustle of wind against her fur. She smiled, more to herself than to anyone else, and in moments she was calmly asleep.

* * *

><p><em>36 chapters to go if I am going to reach my goal, so stay tuned and don't forget to review! :) More fics on the way soon (hopefully)!<em>


	13. Brother to Brother

_A/N:_

_Hey guys, sorry for not updating in forever! Really busy that first week and then... yeah, it was kind of hard to get back into the writing routine again. Shouldn't have to wait this long for an update again though, and I might even re-write some of the earlier chapters too. Also planning another one-shot (if you haven't read My Little Secret yet, you should :]), so stay tuned! (: Enjoy!_

_Twin out._

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: Brother to Brother<p>

The gentle wind rustled through the remnants of long dried grass and parched vegetation, cooling the warm, balmy evening air to make it almost bearable. The cracked ground became more comfortable to tread on, no longer searing with the destructive heat of the sun which it had retained all day. Sunset was imminent, and the sky faded to eye-pleasing hues of deep blues and purples, lightly dotted with hundreds of brilliant stars. It almost looked beautiful, despite the fact that it grew more uninhabitable with each passing day. It was quiet here, in the Outlands. The old sounds, such as the chirps of birds flying home to roost and the occasional croaks of frogs, had vanished like the rain. Even the cackles of the hyenas had grown less plentiful with the passing time, though they still resurfaced to pierce through the thick night air on occasion.

Scar just sat at the edge of the pond, the only body of water to be found for miles around. He just gazed at the horizon, reflecting idly as he did every so often. Wow. Things had really changed. Even the Outlands looked considerably worse than they once had, which, of course, was saying something. This wasn't the same place he had grown up in. With Mufasa.

Scar turned away slightly in discomfort. Not his brother; he didn't want to think about him ever again. He had made it clear that no one was to mention his name, but it didn't stop his own thoughts from doing so.

"…_I_ killed Mufasa…"

Scar dug his claws into the ground. That single sentence had had to be the worst mistake of his life. Why did he have to tell his nephew, Simba, the truth before he attempted and failed to throw him off of Pride Rock? He would have given anything—_anything_—to take back that moment, to just throw Simba off that cliff and be done with it all. But that wasn't what had happened. The fight, the hyenas, his mysterious relapse into consciousness, and Simba's hunt for him… his life had become a complete mess after that. Years of being king had collapsed instantly into… this. He wanted the throne more than ever now that he had lost it and was struggling to survive. Being an ostracized refugee from what was once his kingdom only led him to more despair. He wanted to go back to the old life he had had as if nothing had ever happened, but it was too late. He was no longer a king; he was a murderer, and he would always be known as one. The moment he had uttered those words, there was no going back. He had brought about the ruin of his own life.

Did he even have a chance?

Was there really a purpose to it all? Did he in fact have a shot at revenge and the reclaiming of the throne, or was it all just a hopeless dream? Supposing he did take back the kingdom, what would happen then? He would no doubt be loathed for killing two of their beloved kings for his own personal gain.

Oh well. Simba's followers could kill themselves for all he cared. Whether or not they liked it was none of his concern. He could rule without their support anyways...

In the meantime, all he could do was sit near the pond, waiting for it to dry up like all the others and dreaming about being king again. He would lie down, exhausted, under the stars in exile; cold, hungry, and hated by most. That was his life now, and he had to make the most of it and try his best.

The temperature had dropped like it had every other night, except now it was much more profound than it had once been. Even with his long silky coat and mane, he couldn't help but shiver underneath the merciless, icy stare of the moon. Somehow he thought Mufasa had had something to do with the lack of rain, the cold at night, and the unbearable heat during the day. He hated the idea: that his brother was up there safe in the sky somewhere, but was exacting revenge on his younger brother with this endless torture. Sometimes Scar simply wanted to leave; to just run away far off into the distance, perhaps towards that promising looking golden patch of Savannah in the distance. Besides, he had nothing left anymore; not even Zira. But he knew he never would. Never could. Giving up was something he'd never done.

He gritted his teeth and growled. It was all so improbable, so ridiculous. Right now he could be lying comfortably in a warm cave upon Pride Rock, lazily picking out his teeth and ordering around an army of helpless minions. Feared and obeyed. Now, though, he was banished and slowly starving to death. He had to plan this out. If only he could do something to try and take back what was rightfully his without being killed. Only a handful of lionesses remained on his side to help him with the job, and the hyenas were… disloyal, to say the least. Waiting for their opportunity to kill him just like everyone else was. Last time, they had nearly succeeded, too. He should never have trusted them, especially since they were a large part of this mess. Besides, he knew how the hyenas held grudges. Another mistake on his part.

He looked up one last time at the stars. Why did it have to be him? He wished his brother had never even been born; then he would be able to take the throne without risking his life several times over. Without even trying. Life for Scar would have been so much easier without Mufasa. This thought had pestered him endlessly for years. Killing him should have alleviated the problem, but it just caused more trouble in the end.

"Brother…" Scar said quietly aloud, in a deep growling voice, "I hope you know just how much I _loathe _you."

He bore his teeth into an angry grimace and clawed the ground with a shaking paw. His chest heaved and he would have broken out into a sweat had he not been freezing cold. Revenge… that was all he wanted.

Now the wind was beginning to pick up, with harsh gales that blew across the flat land. Little bits of dirt, eroded from the few dusty hills that were around, flew into his eyes, causing them to sting and burn like fire, as the icy wind cut through his fur and flesh and down to the bone, instantly chilling him. He clenched his eyes tightly shut, curling up as snugly as he could to escape the blistering elements which bit at him constantly, though it did very little and his body still continued to shake from the cold. It would be hard for him to fall asleep, despite the fact that he was exhausted. Desperately crawling behind a rock to seek some protection from the wind, he settled down on his forepaws, still shivering uncomfortably.

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Even though he had slept quite a bit lately, he still felt weak, as though he hadn't slept for days. He flopped onto his side irately, unable to get comfortable, and waited in vain to drift off into sleep.

Eyes now only half closed, Scar clawed impatiently at the nearby rock absent-mindedly, leaving long, jagged scratches in its rough, wind-beaten and eroded surface. Hours passed. The night only got darker and colder, leaving thick masks of jet black shadow dotted and pierced with light from the stars and the moon.

Forget this. He had to get up, to move around somehow. He'd been lying in more or less the same spot for days.

Scar shifted his weight slightly, wedging his paws under his body as his claws scratched across the ground, growling slightly from the effort. His joints felt frozen, stiff, and rigid as they moved under him, especially the shoulder with the bite wound in it, which felt sore and painful. As he pulled himself higher his legs started to buckle, as he eventually put weight on all four of them, and with a final heave he staggered onto his feet. Not moving around very much had made it a lot harder for him to get up.

He wasn't sure where he wanted to go other than away from the pond. Taking the first shaky step, he pressed forwards, and then continued by simply putting one quivering paw in front of the other… A step out from behind the rock, however, nearly knocked his unprepared self flat on his back. The wind had picked up even more as the Pridelands descended even deeper into the reign of the darkness and night. Bracing himself against a particularly strong gust of wind, the chill again singed his flesh as his sharp teeth began to chatter together uncontrollably. Several seconds passed before the wind finally died down enough for him to plod slowly and resolutely forwards again. The dust and dirt crunched and crackled under the soft padding of his paws. There was no grass; no life scampering under his paws like there would have been a few years ago. Instead there was only a brittle, hard-packed, and eroding dirt floor surrounded by a chilling silence. Everything was silent as he continued on his own way, which made it all the more surprising when he slammed right into something soft and furry.

He jumped back reflexively, nearly losing his delicate and precarious balance on the ground. His claws instantly unsheathed and he drew back with surprising quickness. Narrowing his eyes, he crouched down on his back legs in a pouncing position. The fur on his back bristled and he growled deeply, prepared to attack whatever it was if it dared to threaten him. He might have been alone in the middle of the night, but he could still defend himself, if necessary.

Thinking it to be a hyena or another hostile creature out to get him, he was surprised when he looked up and saw Mahiri's ice blue eyes contemplating him curiously, her narrow face drawn into a self-satisfied smirk.

"No need, scaredy-cat. It's just me," she continued flatly. He looked up at her but he found that the only thing on his mind was how absurd he must have looked. He promptly drew his claws back in and resumed his normal posture.

She stood there quietly, eyes glinting slightly in the moonlight. Her dark fur shone brightly in the moonlight and her tail swished ever so slightly from side to side, in an almost enticing manner. A slight smile crossed her lips as she stretched, her claws digging into the earth. He had to admit she looked beautiful, and yet… he wasn't sure exactly what he should do about it. Yes, they had mated, but, to be honest, he already regretted it. He had been depressed and lonely because of Zira leaving; he didn't exactly want to continue anything with her, did he? And Zira… What would she do to him if she ever found out they'd mated? That couldn't possibly end well.

Scar could feel his face redden under his fur in embarrassment. He knew she wanted him. That much had been apparent since they had met. What would he say to her? That he didn't want to be with her anymore because he felt bad about Zira and didn't want to betray her, and she would just have to leave? Or would he tell her that they could see each other as long as Zira didn't find out? He was grateful to her for saving his life, but this… He didn't know what to do.

Scar just stood there silently, not saying a word. Maybe she would leave, and he wouldn't have to prolong the situation any further.

"So," she began, cutting into his thoughts, "couldn't sleep?"

She smirked just ever so slightly, raising her eyebrows at him as she turned and gazed at him from over her shoulder. Her tail continued to swish from side to side, over and over…

"… No."

"What's with the silence? I just want to talk, dear…"

"Yes, certainly, heh… Well, I was just—"

"MAHIRI! Where are you, for goodness' sake? Time to get ready!"

Scar whirled around on the voice, claws unsheathed again as always, as he turned back towards the source of the sound. His heart began to pound in his chest and his bore his teeth in alarm. Mahiri also looked over her shoulder, though her eyebrows were raised in only mild astonishment. If there was anything Scar hated, it was surprises. How Mahiri hadn't been absolutely scared out of her skin was beyond him.

"Oh, must be time for the hunt already. See you tonight."

Scar cocked his eyebrow confusedly at this remark, but she didn't see it; she was already gone. Slowly and carefully turning around to look east, he could see the sky begin to turn a light tint of a ruddy purplish color. Dawn would come soon, and that meant most of the lionesses would leave for almost the whole day to hunt. He would have quite a bit of time to himself, in the peaceful solitude that surrounded the Outlands. The lion only hoped that they could bring back a kill this time. Hunger had begun to gnaw at him faintly. He would need to eat soon.

After all, he would have to be healthy and strong if he wanted to instigate his revenge.


	14. Birds of a Feather

_A/N: Wow, really guys? Not a single review last chapter? :S It's not that hard, is it?_

_Oh well, whatever. Still, a review this chapter would be nice... *hinthint* ;)_

_Here's Chapter 14!_

* * *

><p>Chapter 14: Birds of a Feather<p>

"My goodness… it's… stunning. Absolutely stunning."

Zazu and Zuri sat together on the branch of a large acacia, almost close enough for their wingtips to touch together lightly. The tree itself that they were in was supple and young, filled with delicate green leaves which swayed slightly in the breeze. The trees here, in the Savannah, were clearly not like the old dinosaurs of trees in the Pridelands, most of which were nearly bare and whose bark was stiff and dark with age and abuse. One of the few trees that remained at all, Zazu reflected, was that baobab that the baboon healer, Rafiki, lived in. It must have been hundreds of years old by now.

Zuri had brought him to the tree so that he could admire his lush surroundings, and they really were something to marvel at. Tall, golden grass grew in waves over the gentle hills and slopes towards a setting sun. The sky had turned from a bright, peaceful blue to a fiery red as the large, orange orb set dramatically under the horizon. But what caught his eye the most was to the east. The grass faded away and turned to a sort of bleached sand which continued on down a slope. And at the bottom… water. More than he had ever seen in one place. Blue ripples of it splashed ashore and the surface glimmered like the scales of a particularly shiny fish, bright and dazzling flashes of light which danced around in his field of vision. And it continued on, and on… He couldn't see an end to it; not anywhere.

Zazu was too distracted by this ocean to notice the small group of giraffes, coming to munch on the tender leaves of the acacia that he and Zuri were standing on. Giraffes were now a rare sight in the Pridelands, and these ones happened to be hungry, suddenly shaking the delicate branches that the two resting birds were standing on.

"Hey, hey!" Zazu tried to swat at animals' muzzles, but they hardly noticed him and didn't pay him any mind. Thick, muscular tongues poked out of their lips and began to wrap around the branches, plucking them of their rich, succulent leaves. Several of them unintentionally found Zazu, pulling off several of his feathers and leaving him dripping with saliva.

"Go on, get away!" Zazu finally smacked one of them with his wing in irritation, causing it to look him in the eye for a moment in confusion, before turning around and lazily plodding away. The rest eventually followed halfheartedly, disappearing aimlessly towards the grassland that continued to the west. The hornbill was slightly miffed at being licked and plucked of several feathers, but Zuri only laughed lightly in amusement.

Zazu just stared at her for a moment, rolling his eyes slightly but saying nothing.

"Hey, lighten up a bit," she said with a weak smile.

He tilted his head back at her, and a small smile spread across his face. She patted him on the back reassuringly, and they stood that way, for just a few moments. Zuri shifted her weight on the branch just so, inching just a bit closer…

"How far does it go on like that? The Savannah I mean…"

Zuri looked out at the grass, but there was no end to it in sight. She sighed slightly, honestly not knowing how far it stretched.

"Well, to the west, I really have no idea. And you probably saw the ocean to the east…" she motioned with her head towards the water, "… but I don't know how big that is. I tried to fly across it once, but it's probably a several day journey by flight."

Zazu cocked his head slightly, surprised at the vastness of it all. Nothing in the Pridelands was that big.

"And to the north… jungle. Lots of it. I went near there once, but have never actually been there. Too many animals to eat a small hornbill like me. Supposedly there are gorillas, and monkeys, and hawks, and… cats."

He could see her visibly shudder, and had to wonder slightly at this. Lions were cats, obviously. Were there no lions up here, or did she just not know any?

"Cats… what's wrong with cats?" He thought back to Simba, Sarabi, and Mufasa as he said this. Zazu knew many lions throughout the course of his life, and had practically grown up with them. He had never been particularly afraid of them. But, then again, that was just him; maybe the lions here were different.

"Cats are… never mind. I don't want to talk about it."

She looked off, away from Zazu, and moved away from him slightly. Her wingtips shuffled together anxiously and she turned her head, ducking it under her shoulder, vainly trying to hide the single tear that dripped from her face…

"Hey… what's wrong? Was it something I said?"

The hornbill looked over at her in genuine concern. He hadn't known her for very long, but it had been a long time—too long—since he had met another one of his kind. She just shook her head, sadly.

"No, it's not you… It's just… I don't know. I have to go." She began to take off, but Zazu quickly stopped her.

"Where are you going? Will I see you again?"

She looked at him, this strange hornbill which she had just happened to meet the day before. The words came out before she could really think.

"Yes. Same tree, tomorrow."

"Okay… I'll see you then, I guess."

And then she left, her long, bluish purple tail feathers being the last glimpse of her he saw in the meantime. If there were lions here, then Simba and the pride couldn't come. Probably not without resistance of some kind, although in all truth the land did seem big enough to support all of them. Maybe farther west, there would be open land for them, but he couldn't be sure, and wasn't going to start looking now. It was nightfall, and that would be another, longer journey. He again thought about Simba and the predicament at Pride Rock, and bleakly wondered if there even would be a pride to return to after all of this chaos was over. When he had left, things were becoming more unglued than he had ever seen them. Logic told him that he should return back soon. In fact, he had half a mind to return back at that moment. But something held him there, to that spot, to the acacia.

He hadn't seen another hornbill since the death of his mother. That was years ago, he mused sadly. Not a single other hornbill had met him in all that time. Inclination to stay in the acacia over-ruled the weak desire to return to the barren Pridelands. That was all there was to it. Making up his mind firmly, he tucked his bill under his wing, and fell asleep…

* * *

><p>Simba coughed again, for what seemed to Nala to be the millionth time. It was nerve-racking, in a way, especially for her. If it wasn't for Rafiki, carefully administering the correct jungle herbs needed for the various ailments found in the Pridelands, then many lions would probably have perished over the last few years. It seemed as though Simba was one of the lions that had caught a recent bug going around, and had had to stay in the cave, lying down as he was forced to drink an herbal concoction every few hours.<p>

Needless to say, it really stuck a wrench in Simba's plans to search the Outlands for his uncle, much to his mate's relief. Simba's mate, mother, and mother-in-law, Sarafina, all stayed by his side, Nala stroking his mane with her gentle paw and licking his hot, sticky forehead with her tongue.

But it didn't change anything. Simba slept most of the day, too tired and drugged to do much else. The lionesses, however, were somewhat worried. The sickness had rendered many of the huntresses too weak to find food. Time was running out, and so were the herds. Something had to be done. Now. They hadn't caught food in several days. Simba, though, was not in the condition to hold a meeting, and probably wouldn't be for several days at least. The lionesses would have to make a decision themselves, and quietly they decided to do so, meeting outside to plan their actions.

The small group of healthy huntresses grouped around the charred, dead remains of an old tree: a stump, jutting out of the ground near Pride Rock, which had been burned by the fire that occurred the night Simba had become king. Sarabi, growing old but still able to hunt, settled down on her paws in a sitting position next to her lifelong friend, Sarafina. Nala sat quietly next to her mother, waiting for Sarabi to begin the meeting, as she was the leader of the huntresses. There were a total of ten lionesses in the Pridelander pride, though only seven were in the condition to make it, and those seven had all settled down respectfully across the stump from the old lioness. Seeing that no one else was coming, the lioness cleared her throat with a rasp and started without any more ado.

"The prey is scarce, as we all know. This comes as a surprise to no one, I can imagine."

Her words were met with terse nods. The group was composed mostly of middle-aged adults, and they had hunted together on many occasions. The direness of the situation was understood by all.

"After Scar took over, it went downhill, true. But now, the drought has made it worse than ever before. We've tried to push past it, but the time has come for us to seek more desperate measures."

There was a silence, but now another lioness spoke up to fill it. Nyota was slightly younger than the others, with light creamy fur and blue eyes which made her look considerably like her friend, Nala.

"I propose that we widen our scope and look farther for food. Zazu is still missing, which means that, as a result, we have no eyes in the sky. We alone will have to look for any new dangers which we may encounter, but I believe we can handle it… The only problem is that, by doing so, we will have to start looking outside the Pridelands… and in the Outlands…"

The old lioness didn't gasp or look frightened, and the others just froze, looking at her incredulously. The Outlands? Was she serious? There were hyenas; there was Scar and his followers, who numbered as much as the Pridelander pride. Who knew what they would find out there? And what prey could they hope to gain by going over there anyways?

"Do we have reason to believe that we could find more prey by doing so? More importantly, is this in the best interest of the pride?"

Several lionesses murmured and nodded their assent, obviously wondering he same things.

"I've found game trails near the border before, though I have to admit that the presence of the Outlander pride does affect things. To my knowledge, they have not come on Pridelander territory and have been hunting only on their own lands. Maybe they are located too deep within the Outlands to have come near the border."

"That could be seen as an act of war, though."

"Well," Nyota continued stoically, "we will have to take that risk. We know that a war with them is virtually inevitable anyways, and I would personally rather fight it than starve. Either we go onto their lands… or they come onto ours."

There was a long pause. They were somewhat shocked by her open declaration, though it was, they now realized, the truth. The huntresses remembered Scar from when he was king, and knew he would want revenge. And Simba only seemed to goad it on instead of looking for peaceful intentions. After all, he had exiled most of the Outlander pride himself.

"…Does anyone have any other suggestions?" the old lioness continued on anyways. There was only a long pause in reply. Though it seemed ill-thought out and a bit of a long shot, none of the lionesses had any better ideas. It was either that they looked farther for food or starved. That was all there was to it.

"Okay, good. Tomorrow we hunt. But we all have to be careful. Everyone understand?"

Murmurs of approval and nods cut through the silence in the air after the lioness had finished speaking. The lionesses were ready. Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all. Sarabi knew the lionesses could handle the higher stakes and the increased pressure not to fail their pride. She was confident in them. And, she thought with a small, proud smile, they were confident in themselves.

* * *

><p><em>Hmm, something tells me that really doesn't seem like a good idea... what do you guys think? XD Review? Pretty please? *puppy dog eyes* :c<em>

_Twin out._


	15. Kidnapped

_**A/N: **I was going to give up on this fic since I had writer's block, but I actually had fun writing this. (: There might still be hope for this fic, lol. Although I'm definitely going to rewrite the first 7 or 8 chapters at some point, haha. Thanks to **Vitani825** and, as always, **readsmanyfavsfew**. _

_Vitani makes a cameo in this chapter. She's not really important; I just threw her in because she's one of my favorite TLK2 characters and she's cool. xD_

_EDIT: If the unlikely circumstance that anyone is reading this, then I suppose I should warn you by saying that the chance of an update coming in the near future is highly unlikely. In addition to being disillusioned with this fic and its outdated writing style [I know it's only been a year, but come on... :3], Trampled is taking up a lot of my spare time as it is. I will get back to this fic eventually, but probably not for a while. Thanks for understanding. ;)_

* * *

><p>Chapter 15: Kidnapped<p>

Scar's tail twitched.

It wasn't much; little more than a slight jerk to the side, but nevertheless a small manifestation of how nervous he really was. It was late afternoon after all; the hunting party should be back by now. Only they weren't. He hadn't smelled, heard, or seen them since their departure at dawn.

A howl cut through the still air. Perhaps a wild dog pack, a very rare sight in the Pridelands.

Another twitch of his tail.

Maybe things weren't going well, and he didn't dare to think of what would happen if they lost the hunting party. That was most—no, nearly all—of his lioness followers, and then where would he be? If they died… well, he might still be able to live, but all plans of taking back the throne would get thrown utterly out the window.

Scar got to his feet, looking quietly over his shoulder. There were two lionesses still there, out of about fifteen that were normally were. Two cubs were there as well, but neither of them belonged to the two lionesses. One was Nuka, and another was a small female who he couldn't identify.

Mahiri had told him that the two lionesses had stayed behind because they were young and shouldn't risk going on such a dangerous hunt. But that fooled no one. He knew they were there to protect both him and the ragtag pride's home, in case the hyenas or another threat should come back. They had sat there, silently, just watching, listening, smelling… They seemed to have heard the howling too, though it didn't appear to concern them all that much. The pair only kept their stern countenances as they sat upon the same flat rock, tails flicking in the breeze ever so slightly.

"Never seen you here before. You a stranger?"

A rough, young-sounding voice sneered from behind him. Somewhat frightened, he whipped around on its source, teeth bared and snarling as his claws unsheathed in mild fear. Looking down, he could see that it was the female cub, who had somehow gotten close to him without him noticing. She backed up slightly at his threatening posture, but didn't run away like he would have expected any small cub to.

"I'm the stranger?" Scar started, calming down slightly, "you look like the stranger to me... What's your name?" he said with a slight nod, sheathing his claws.

The cub looked up at him with shining, purple eyes that seemed indifferent. Bored. As if she'd already seen everything that there was to see. It was with the cool confidence of someone who, indeed, was not a stranger to this harsh land.

"Name's Vitani. Lived in the Outlands all my life. And you are?"

"I am called Scar."

Vitani's eyes seemed to be fixed now on the two symmetrical scars which ran across both of his eyes. It seemed to perk up a mild curiosity for a brief moment, before it faded away and her indifference replaced it.

"So you aren't going to tell me your real name?"

She said it almost as a statement rather than a question, a slight hint of dejection present in her voice. Scar wasn't used to being pressed like this, or at all, but she didn't even seem to notice that her question might annoy him. It wasn't that she was being particularly nosy; she just had an uncharacteristic boldness about her that made her seem… different, somehow.

"Well," he whispered to the little cub softly, "I'll tell you as long as you don't tell anyone else."

She tilted her head at him slightly in confusion, but agreed with a slow "…Okay…"

"Taka," he said simply, his tail flipping across the ground in slight irritation.

Her face contorted slightly, not hiding the wonderment that was now spread across her countenance.

"Taka? But that means trash. Who would name you that?" she piped up quickly.

A silence followed. Finally understanding that he wasn't going to say anything more, she continued.

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone," she said quietly. Slowly a smile appeared to be spreading across her face.

"So," the older lion continued, wanting to change the subject, "what about you? I've never seen you before. Who are your parents?"

"My mother… she died a few days ago," the cub started curtly, but not without a hint of sadness. "Her name was Aibu. She was exiled by the king—I think his name was Mustasa or Mustafa—before I was born. I don't know who my father was. That lioness, Zira, decided to take me here… I could have cared for myself though," she said as an afterthought, puffing out her chest slightly in pride.

"I have no doubt you could have," Scar said with a small chuckle which, for once, wasn't dripping with sarcasm.

But Vitani wasn't listening at this point. The small, dark cub was staring intently towards the crest of the hill, her ears perked as she took a delicate whiff of the air, trying to detect the faintest signs of life.

"Shh… I think I hear something…"

Scar found himself listening intently, though in the end he had to wonder what it was she had heard and how she had noticed it. He was much older than Vitani, and his senses weren't quite as sharp. To him, all was silence.

"Come on, I think it's the lionesses. And…" she closed her eyes, sniffing the air again, nose twitching as she tried to identify the faintest whiff of something she had smelled before, but could not place, "it doesn't smell like they have a kill. But they do have _something _traveling with them. Let's go see what's happening."

Before he could respond, her little legs had quickly carried her off over the hill in a determined, fast-paced run. All Scar could do was follow behind, wondering what could have happened. The lionesses were all right, at least, but that didn't mean that all was well.

* * *

><p>"Well, here we are, girls. You all know the stakes. Get in, get some food, and get out. Oh, and don't get caught… by anyone."<p>

Sarabi was trying to lighten up the mood, but it wasn't working. The lionesses huddled around one another as if they were about to go into a war zone. In theory, the Outlands which lied as a deserted expanse before them were actually extremely barren, and the chance of finding lions, hyenas, or prey was, of course, small. There was no telling that to the lionesses, who fretted and paced about to and fro in nervousness. Slowly, however, they plucked up their courage, Sarafina offering to lead them into the non-existent fray set out before them.

It was slow going. Even a tumbleweed, nonchalantly rolling across the plain and doing no harm to anyone, was enough to incite panic in the skittish hunting party. Most of them had never been in the Outlands before. However, it was uncertain whether where the party was could even be classified as part of the Outlands. It was rather a part of a vague neutral zone. A sort of buffer which neither faction pride had dared to cross. Until now.

"What do we hope to find here?" A timid voice piped up from the back of the group. A cream colored lioness, shaking slightly, suddenly found all eyes on her as Nyota, following along next to Nala and behind Sarafina, coolly answered her question.

"Well, we don't think any of those Outlanders have been near here. I can't smell them anywhere. We haven't been either. Hopefully, since neither side has been hunting here, there will be some surviving herds, or perhaps some grass of some kind to attract them. Even water; we don't know."

It was certainly a long shot. But it was a long shot they were willing to take. The Pridelands were now nearly as barren and miserable as the Outlands, the food becoming scarcer through the passing days. There wasn't a lion or lioness in the pride whose ribs were not showing through their pelts. Even the cubs had to endure the overall misery and hunger running rampant throughout the pride.

The search lasted for quite a while, the lionesses gradually lightening up as they realized that the lands were mostly barren, and, as far as they could see, devoid of threats. Finally they reached the wall of a crater, bracing themselves as they prepared to look down into it, hopefully to find a pocket of paradise in the Outlands. Sarafina climbed up the shards of rocky gravel leading to the lip of the crater, several lionesses following closely behind. She traversed quickly, and rather carelessly, up its surface, catching a glimpse of the horizon on the other side of the large crater. Finally, she peeked over its edge.

Well, there was nothing. At least not here. There was some grass growing in the shady parts, suggesting some kind of deep underground spring, but there was no surface water or animals, and the majority of the crater floor was just more of the same: scorched, dying shrubs covering a thin layer of eroded dirt and pebbles, over a floor of wispy, brownish-gold sand.

Nala, who was behind Sarafina, couldn't see very well. She scrabbled up the gravelly lip of the crater just a little bit more. Nyota also followed suit, the two of them, as well as Sarafina, trying to confirm the suspicion they had that the hunt might have just been a waste of time. Finally, Sarafina turned around slightly, her head turned towards the other lionesses who had gathered patiently several paces behind the trio.

"Well, sorry girls, but there's nothing down there. Just plenty of the sam—!"

"Sarafina!"

Nyota leapt back in surprise, Nala staying towards the now broken edge of the crater, where Sarafina was now hanging desperately, teeth gritted in surprise and fear as she pleadingly looked up at the other lionesses. Her claws dug into the thick, black rock, and she slowly began to slip down.

"Gah! Help, I'm gonna fall!"

The lionesses were unsure of what to do, none of them wanting to fall off of the edge as well.

"Uhhh, I'll help you!" Nyota said, wavering slightly in her decision as she hesitantly reached a paw forwards, trying not to put her weight too far forwards.

Sarafina grabbed at it desperately, but with each swipe she only fell farther down the rock, until finally she was hanging at the bottom of the lip with only a sheer drop below her. In a last ditch effort, both Nala and her companion leapt forwards to the very edge as the other lionesses watched in horror. But she was too late. The two lionesses on the edge could only stare downwards, gaping as Sarafina fell straight down into the crater, her old, frail, and skinny body hitting several jagged rocks on the way down, a sickening smacking noise reverberating towards them each time, causing them to wince in fear and shock.

It had all happened so quickly, and before they knew it Sarafina was lying limply on the ground, a pool of blood already forming around her skull, which had been smacked particularly hard on one of the more sharp-edged boulders.

For several moments, none of them said anything.

"Wh-what do we do?"

There was only more silence after Nala spoke, though the lionesses all froze as a gust of wind blew towards them. A foreign scent was in the air.

"Oh, god. It's the Outlander pride… Maybe they're far away; maybe they won't notice us since we're downwind…"

Nyota glanced hopelessly down into the crater, but could now see that the Outlander pride was, indeed, a lot closer than they had thought. The wind had just changed direction, and since it was harder for it to blow over the crater walls, the group of lionesses hadn't smelled the Outlanders for a long time… they must have known of the Pridelanders' sudden intrusion for a while. And now she could see the rogue pride which was once their own, in numbers so thick and strong and confident…

They didn't have a chance against them. There was no way they could get down the wall of the crater in time to reach Sarafina or catch the Outlanders, and a fight with them would probably not end well anyways.

"Sarafina!"

Nala foolishly called down into the crater. There was no response.

"We need to leave. The Outlander pride is coming, and they could kill all of us with minimal losses."

"No! I can't leave my mother!"

Nala leapt away and started down the crater, but there was no way she would make it in time. The other lionesses had no choice but to flee if they did not want to be found and caught.

"Come on, girls! Run, run!"

* * *

><p><em>Anyone want to review? The earlier chapters will probably be re-written, so that it is more like the chapters I've been posting lately. lol See you next chapter, Twin ;)<em>


End file.
